Subsidy eyed to promote study abroad

40 universities could receive 5-year grants

The Yomiuri Shimbun - The education ministry plans to establish a new financial support system for universities encouraging students to study abroad, it has been learned. The ministry aims to promote the idea of studying abroad to Japanese students, who are often regarded as being introverted, to foster human resources who will be motivated to actively participate in the nation's domestic and international affairs. The Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry is targeting about 40 universities and plans to grant from 100 million yen to 200 million yen in annual subsidies to each institution. The move reflects the government's sense of urgency in response to the current downward trend of Japanese students studying abroad, which is a sharp contrast to places like South Korea, China and India, where an increasing number of students are studying abroad in countries including the United States. Selected universities are expected to offer sufficient linguistic classes to enable students to take specialized courses at foreign universities; set up an advisory center for students who plan to study abroad; and strengthen the system for accepting foreign teachers.   The number of Japanese students studying abroad has been decreasing since it peaked at 82,945 in 2004. In 2009, the number dropped to 59,923. Source: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120325003181.htm

VOCABULARY

1.       Establish (v) - to start

2.       Encouraging (adj.) - giving you hope and confidence 

3.       Promote (v) - to try to persuade people to support or use something

4.       Introverted (adj.) - quiet and shy and does not enjoy being with other people

5.       Foster (v) - to help a skill, feeling, idea etc develop over a period of time[= encourage, promote]

6.       Grant  (n) - an amount of money given to someone, especially by the government, for a particular purpose

7.       Subsidies (n) - money that is paid by a government or organization to make prices lower, reduce the cost of producing 

8.       Reflects (v)  to show or be a sign of a particular situation or feeling

9.       Urgency (n) - needing attention very soon, especially before anything else, because important

10.   Sufficient (adj.) - as much as is needed for a particular purpose; enough

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1.       What do you think about the education ministry plan to send scholars for study abroad?

2.       Have you considered studying abroad? Why? Why not?

3.       What would be the effect of this plan in Japan’s economy today and in the future?

4.       Give some advantages / disadvantages of studying abroad.

5.       If given the chance, where would you like to study?