Higher education in Japan and Ireland – strengthening research connections between HERC, DCU and the Centre for Studies of Higher Education (CSHE), Nagoya University
On 25th October, 2018 Professor Maria Slowey, Director of HERC presented the 92nd Visiting Professor Lecture in the CSHE Visiting Professor Series, Nagoya University on the theme Professional development and training for academic leadership: between managerialism and collegiality. CSHE Nagoya University is one of Japan’s leading centres for research in higher education, recently celebrating its 20th anniversary. http://www.cshe.nagoya-u.ac.jp/20an/
The link between HERC and CSHE builds on a visit made to DCU by Associate Professor Nakajima, CSHE in 2009. Invited this year as Visiting Professor to CSHE, Professor Maria Slowey has made two visits to Nagoya, opening potential opportunities for comparative analysis between higher education developments in Ireland and Japan, Europe and SE Asia.
CHSE Director Professor Saito, Professor Natsume, Associate Professor Nakajima and other CSHE colleagues welcome HERC Director, Professor Maria Slowey on her first visit to Nagoya
Although the scale and shape of the higher education systems of Japan and Ireland are very different, they share much in common in terms of themes for comparative research, including: analysis of the impact of contemporary policy and funding contexts; faculty and leadership development; institutional mergers; lifelong learning; and, the underrepresentation of women at senior levels and in certain disciplines. Additionally, as Japan is the country with the longest experience of an ageing population, there is much which can be learnt about issues this raises for education and employment over changing lifecourse patterns.
Professor Slowey’s seminar located discussion about leadership in higher education within the wider context of the impact of the knowledge society/knowledge economy on universities and other higher education institutions. As they face competing demands from numerous stakeholders, the development of leadership skills become even more important than ever to help support those charged with university responsibilities to work in collaborative ways, protecting core values and activities, while at the same time being open to innovation and change. Her presentation drew on empirical studies from Europe, set alongside her own experience in leadership roles in universities in Ireland, Scotland and England.
A lively discussion followed in which similarities and differences between the situation in Japan and a number of European countries were debated. A common leadership challenge lies in responding to national governments which seek to shape higher education to meet current – and, therefore, almost inevitably, short-term – policy priorities through funding and accountability mechanisms. Strategies to encourage engagement in training by those holding positions of responsibility at senior and ‘middle management’ levels with a view to strengthening capacity for inclusive and collegial approaches were also discussed.