Two Japanese university graduate schools on Wednesday announced a plan to launch a joint initiative later this month to boost the recruitment and career development of foreign doctoral talent, as the country steps up efforts to strengthen its competitiveness amid intensifying global competition for skilled workers.
The Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) and the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) said the program ¡ª dubbed the Triple-Helix Roundtable for International Ph.D. Talent ¡ª will focus on building stronger pathways between academia and industry, with the aim of channeling more highly trained researchers into the private sector.
The initiative comes as Japan grapples with a shrinking population and a shortage of highly skilled specialists, particularly in the fields of science and technology.
NAIST assistant professor and program representative Naoya Taniguchi told reporters during a news conference Wednesday at the education ministry that foreign nationals accounted for 29.4% of doctoral students in Japan in 2025, with significantly higher shares at the two institutions ¡ª 50% at NAIST and 77% at OIST.?
According to a 2025 survey, three in four students in NAIST expressed a strong interest in staying in Japan after attaining their doctorates. However, in fiscal 2023, only 40.4% of international doctoral graduates from NAIST and 33.8% in Japan overall ultimately secured employment in the country.
Taniguchi pointed to language barriers and limited corporate readiness to hire non-Japanese speakers as key obstacles. While some companies have begun recruiting in English, many still require Japanese proficiency.
The new framework will bring together universities, companies and government stakeholders to share information, develop training and Japanese-language learning programs to facilitate recruitment of foreign Ph.D. students.?
According to Taniguchi, 10 universities?¡ª including Hokkaido University and the University of Tsukuba ¡ª have already joined the initiative, paying an annual fee of ?150,000 ($944). In addition, 27 companies?ranging from large corporations to startups ¡ª which are currently exempt from fees in the initial push phase ¡ª have also applied.
Participating institutions will hold career fairs, provide direct support to doctoral students and promote case studies of successful hires to encourage wider corporate engagement.?
A kickoff symposium for the initiative is scheduled for April 27 in Osaka, when the framework¡¯s formal launch will take place.
In response to concerns that the push for foreign doctoral talent could ultimately displace local workers, NAIST officials said exposing domestic students to global talent can help raise overall skill levels and foster innovation.
¡°By working together with excellent foreign individuals, Japanese people will certainly grow as well,¡± said Hirokazu Kato, director of NAIST¡¯s Regional Co-creation Office.
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