Japan Press Weekly

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2017 December 20 - 2018 January 9 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

National university association asks JCP for cooperation in efforts to achieve higher state subsidies

Representatives of the Japan Association of National Universities (JANU) on December 20 visited JCP lawmakers at the Diet building, asking for JCP cooperation in pushing the government to increase its subsidy to national universities.

After national universities were transformed into independent administrative corporations in 2004, the amount of state subsidies to national universities has been slashed by 145 billion yen. At most national universities, facilities were built 50 years ago and facility improvements, including maintenance and renovation, will cost 170 billion yen a year. However, the budget amount that the government allocated in FY2017 for that purpose totaled 41 billion yen.

JANU Director General Kitani Masatoshi said to the JCP lawmakers that with the small government budget, every university is struggling with the issue of aging buildings.

JCP Lower House member Hatano Kimie, who is a member of the House Education Committee, expressed her determination to work hard to have the government increase state funding for public universities’ operating expenses.

The JCP parliamentarians who attended the meeting with the JANU representatives were JCP members of the House of Representatives Kasai Akira (JCP Policy Commission Chair), Hatano Kimie and Miyamoto Toru and JCP members of the House of Councilors Kira Yoshiko and Kurabayashi Akiko.

Past related articles:
> 34 science faculty deans call for more funds and staff for basic research [November 1, 2016]
> JCP Hatano talks with univ. president over gov’t plan to cut subsidies to national universities [ November 13, 2015]
> 10% cut in national university budget [July 31, 2010]