In a bid to provide ‘comprehensive information on Japanese universities, including enrollment seminars and entrance examinations’, the University of Tokyo (Todai), on Monday, opened its first office in the country in Bangalore.
With this, Japan has said konnichiwa to the Indian education sector. Of 3,000 international students in Japan, there are only 35 Indian students studying science and technology at the university. On the other hand, 600 students from South Korea and 1,000 from China are studying there.
The tuition expenses range from about Rs5.1 lakh in the first year, and about Rs2.95 lakh in the second year. The tuition cost at private universities is nearly twice as much.
“India is one of the most important countries for us in terms of academic partnership and we hope to increase the number of Indian students studying in Japan,” said Professor Akihiko Tanaka, vice-president of the University of Tokyo.
Through the Global 30 (G30) project launched by Japan’s ministry of education, culture, sports and technology, the aim is to increase the number of international students in that country to 300,000.
NR Narayana Murthy, chairman emeritus of Infosys and member of the president’s council, university of Tokyo, emphasised the need to ‘seize the opportunity’.
“When they are at our doorstep we must seize the opportunity, otherwise we will be the losers. Given that Tokyo University is ranked seventh in the world and its global contribution is better, I am grateful to Todai for this act of opening this office to enhance awareness of opportunities that exist and also collaborative efforts between Japan and India. Japan is the most sought after country after the US,” he said.
Currently about 75,000 students from India go to the US to pursue higher education, while about 15,000 go to UK.
