1999 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
A Comparative International Study on the Methods and Problems of Opening Universities Corresponding to an Aging Society
| Project/Area Number |
09610254
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Educaion
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| Research Institution | Kobe University |
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Principal Investigator |
NISHIDE Ikuyo Kobe University, Department of international Student Center, Professor, 留学生センター, 教授 (40030150)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1997 – 1999
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| Keywords | opening university / aging society / older learners / educational gerontology / lifelong learning / US-Japan comparison |
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| Research Abstract |
The main purpose of this study is to examine how higher education institutions in Japan and the United States have been opening doors to older learners, faced with demographic changes and increasing educational needs of older people in aging societies.
To collected data have shown that a number of higher education institutions in the United States have actually expanded opportunities for older adults by a flexible application of the existing admission policies or some other incentive measures. Older people have opportunities to study in both collegiate programs and non-traditional programs specifically designed for seniors, such as Emeritus Institute.
On the other hand, the need for the education of adults had rarely been met by the traditional higher education system in Japan, because of its inherent youth orientation. Very recently, however, a noticeable number of universities have been accepting older students by applying the special admission systems for adults. Others have also reported a continuous increase of older participants in the university extension programs.
Finally, it is proposed that, the field of educational gerontology as well as other gerontology-related studies should be urgently and extensively promoted in Japan.
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