Amakudai – Japanese Education Ministry Bureaucrats Land in National Universities

Japanese Education Ministry Bureaucrats are landing in National Universities.

Amakudari is when the Japanese bureaucrats 'descend' from their former 'lofty' positions in the government to lucrative postretirement positions in the private sector….the practice is spreading to universities in Japan also.

Some 60 national universites, 70% of the 87 institutions in Japan have at least one former education ministry bureacrat on their board.

A reform was launched to boost the autonomy of the national schools in 2004 -

"state-run universities were removed from direct government control and transformed into national educational corporations."

The reform isn't working.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology sent a report to the Democratic Party of Japan. It says 65 former officials of the education ministry have landed executive positions in Japanese national universities.

Two are serving as presidents and three as supervisors.

Five national schools have two former ministry officials on board.

What do you think of ministry officials using their clout to land high-paying private jobs after their public service?

What about using their clout to influence present ministry officials to help their private schools?