Chinese Faculty Members at Japanese Universities:Who Are They and Why Do They Work in Japan?

Purpose:The purpose of this study is to identify the key aspects of the demographic characteristics and motivations of Chinese faculty at Japanese universities.Design/Approach/Methods:Main methods include an analysis of relevant data from a national survey of full-time international faculty in Japan in 2017 and results from semi-structured interviews with several full-time Chinese faculty hired in different Japanese universities.Findings:This study suggests that,compared to the average level of international faculty,there are larger numbers of female Chinese faculty,greater numbers of Chinese professors,Chinese doctoral degree holders,Chinese faculty in engineering,and larger numbers of them being engaged in research rather than teaching.Further,this study argues that the most important reasons for Chinese faculty to work in Japanese universities are academic or professional reasons,followed by their fondness for Japanese life and culture and their agreement with better living conditions in Japan than in China.Originality/Value:It is the first time that the key characteristics of full-time Chinese faculty at Japanese universities and their motivations to come to Japan are investigated and discussed based on both quantitative and qualitative methods.

Correlations between the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and the WHOQOL-26 among Japanese University Students

In this study, we investigated six types of mood state (tension-anxiety, depression-dejection, anger-hostility, vigor, fatigue, and confusion) using the Profile of Mood States (POMS) with 40 Japanese university students. We examined five main quality of life (QOL) domains (physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environmental health) using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL-26). We also examined the total scale score. We examined Spearman’s rank correlations between POMS mood state and QOL scores and compared male and female students’ scores. The results indicated statistically significant correlations between all six mood states and three broad WHOQOL-26 domains (physical health, psychological health, and social relationships). Moreover, the relationship between mood state and QOL showed a gender difference. There were correlations between mood states and the QOL domains of social relationships and environmental health for males. In contrast, mood state correlated with the QOL domains of physical health and psychological health in females. The findings suggest that gender-specific health provision is needed to care for young university students in Japan. However, our study has several limitations;therefore, larger-scale studies with older subjects are needed in the future.

Tsinghua University Unveils Research Center for Japanese Studies

At an inauguration ceremony on April 10, 2009, Tsinghua University unveiled its Research Center for Japanese Studies, an inter-college research institute which aims to promote mutual understanding as well as academic and student exchanges and cooperation between China and Japan through cross-disciplinary research. The Research Center for Japanese Studies will have Co-Chairmen, one from China and one from Japan. Former Vice-Minister of Japan＇s Ministry of International Trade and Industry Fukukawa Shinji was announced at the inau- guration as the Center＇s Chairman from Japan and Tsinghua Vice President Xie Weihe becomes the Center＇s Chairman from China. Tsinghua University Professor Qu Delin becomes the Center＇s first Director.