Subject: Symposium Announcement - Internationalisation of Education in Japan (April 18, Tokyo)

Dear colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to the symposium:

"Internationalisation of Education in Japan - Policies, Practices, and Impact"
 April 18, 2026 | 09:30-17:30
 Keio University Mita Campus, Large conference room, the 3^rd floor of North Building https://www.keio.ac.jp/en/maps/mita.html

In response to ongoing economic, demographic, and social transformations, internationalisation (kokusaika) has become a key pillar of Japan's education policy. This symposium brings together international scholars to examine how these developments unfold across policy, institutional practice, and individual experience.

The programme features a keynote by Steve R. Entrich and Matthias Hennings, as well as three thematic sessions addressing:

• Internationalisation policies and discourses

• Institutional practices and lived experiences

• Societal outcomes, including labour market integration and inequality

The symposium aims to provide a comprehensive and critical perspective on the role of education in shaping global mobility and social change in Japan.

We would be delighted to welcome you to this event and kindly encourage you to share this invitation with interested colleagues.

REGISTRATION REQUIRED

To participate, please register by sending an email to: steve.entrich@aoi.uzh.ch 

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PROGRAM:

Program

09:30 - 09:35: Welcome address
Hirohisa TAKENOSHITA (Keio University)

09:35 - 10:30: Keynote: The Internationalisation of Education in Japan
Steve R. ENTRICH & Matthias HENNINGS

11:00 - 12:30
Session 1: Internationalisation Policies - Discourses, Agendas, and Reception

The Wall of Language: English Language Policy and the Limits of Educational Internationalisation
Robert ASPINALL (Doshisha University)

The institutionalizing of international education policy as a labour migration pathway: Analysing four decades of policymaking in Japan
Maximilian Xavier REHM (Doshisha University)

The Path to Global Readiness: Learner Perceptions of Internationalisation Policies in Japanese Education
Christopher SAMUELL (Kyoto Institute of Technology)

14:00 - 15:00
Session 2: Internationalisation Practices - Institutions, Programs, and Lived Experiences

Reproductive Justice for International Students: Gendered Challenges and Policy Gaps
Masako TANAKA (Sophia University)

LGBTQ+ Participants in the JET Programme: Belonging and Exclusion
Kazuyoshi KAWASAKA (The University of Tokyo)
Ami KOBAYASHI (Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität Kaiserslautern Landau)

15:30 - 17:00
Session 3: Internationalisation Outcomes - Mobility, Labour Markets, and Inequality

The Education-Migration Industry: From Language Students to Skilled Workers?
Anh Phuong LE (Waseda University)

Bridging Borders: The Role of Chinese Juku in Educational Mobility and Labor Integration
Denny Qingzhe CHEN (Kyoto University)

Labour Market Outcomes of Highly Skilled International Graduates: Realities and Gaps
Mayumi MOCHIZUKI (Osaka University)
Xin YAO (Osaka University)

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Best regards,
Steve R. Entrich
(on behalf of the organizers)