Repositioning Universities in Multi‐spatial Innovation Systems: The Japanese Case

Abstract

Universities are increasingly part of wider geographical processes including international, national and sub‐national actors. Universities now find themselves having to pay attention to many more political centres than before, as seen, for example, with research grants, assessments and teaching accreditation from transnational bodies, individual states and regional authorities. As an institution, the university constitutes a place which needs to be situated within a wider space and the geography of power‐relations. This article traces these spatial developments in relation to recent policy changes in the Japanese context. The current university reforms, set against the development of the globalising knowledge‐based economy and regionalization of innovation policies, are examined in relation to the changing role of universities in multi‐spacial innovation systems.

Keywords:

• Innovation Systems
• Universities
• Regional Development
• Globalisation
• Japan

Acknowledgements

The author would like to acknowledge the thoughts and inputs received through the European Forum (2004–2005) “The Role of Universities in Innovation Systems” at the European University Institute, and a research project funded by JSPS Grants (C) “Policy Analysis on Linkages and Evaluation of City–University Interactions” (2005–2006).

Notes

[1] HEIs in Japan include universities, junior colleges, colleges of technology, and special training schools. In this chapter, in terms of research activities, the term “university” is considered as loosely synonymous with HEI unless otherwise stated.

[2] See http://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/english/leaflet.pdf

[3] MEXT was responsible for 64% of government R&D expenditure in 2002. The Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI; reorganised in 2001 from MITI) is responsible for the second largest research budget (16.9%). MEXT provides the institutional funding for universities, supports varied research funding programmes open to researchers in universities, government institutes, and industry, and supports a range of its own research institutes which are at different stages of transition to becoming independent administrative institutions (IAIs; Asonuma 2002).

[4] Three major changes were proposed: first, the reorganisation of national universities including the merger of some institutions; second, the introduction of putative business methods to national universities through a process of incorporatisation; and third, the introduction of competitive mechanisms into the university sector, including national, public, and private universities (Yamamoto 2004).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Fumi Kitagawa

Fumi Kitagawa is a research fellow in the Department for Higher Education Research at the National Institute for Educational Policy Research. She completed her PhD thesis in 2003, which examined the role of higher education institutions in the regional development processes in nine English regions. She has written a number of academic articles focusing on regional innovation and higher education policies and management issues.