The CULCON Education Task Force is underway and preparing for a January 2013 meeting at which it will examine the causes of declining levels of exchange between Japanese and U.S. students in higher education and make recommendations to the highest levels of both governments on ways to improve the number and quality of student exchanges.
Secretary Norman Mineta and former Prime Minister Fukuda are leading the group of distinguished Task Force members.
Recommendations will be wide-ranging and will target removing impediments (for example, making the U.S. university system more transparent), changing attitudes (for example, demonstrating that the U.S. is a safe study abroad destination) and creating incentives (for example, the role of the Japanese business community in addressing these issues). The Task Force will issue its Final Report in May 2013 in Tokyo. Stay tuned for further updates.