An Initiative for Career Support for International Students

In this article, we report on a career support discussion meeting piloted for international students studying at Keio University who wish to find employment at companies in Japan after graduation or completion of their studies. Juri Morisawa (then Manager of International and Student Support at the Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC) Academic Affairs Office) will describe the actual state of the meeting, and Shinnosuke Obi will provide supplementary explanations regarding the surrounding circumstances.

On April 20, the first career support discussion meeting for international students was hosted by the Tokyo Mita Club, a membership club for Keio University alumni. The primary targets were international students in the PEARL program of the Faculty of Economics and the GIGA program of the Faculty of Policy Management and the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, both of which operate primarily in English. A preliminary survey was conducted to ask students in both programs about their needs and wishes; over 80% of respondents expressed interest in participating in career events, and 69 students wished to attend. Based on these results, the organizers and the university held discussions and organized a career support event primarily for international students with a certain level of Japanese language proficiency.

The first half of the program consisted of talks by alumni regarding "Employment in Japan" and "Industry Overviews for Finance, Trading Companies, and IT." In the second half, tables were set up by industry for individual explanations and consultations. The enthusiastic explanations by the Keio University alumni and the individual consultations in the second half provided a rare opportunity to hear directly from Keio University alumni active in Japanese companies. As a result, the scheduled two hours were significantly extended as time ran out for both segments.

According to a post-event survey of the 34 participants, 83% of respondents were satisfied overall, 83% were satisfied with the talks in the first half, and 69% were satisfied with the individual consultation sessions in the second half. Positive comments included: "I received kind and helpful advice," "I understood the perspective of HR and how people in the industry view international students," and "My motivation for job hunting in Japan increased." Regarding requests for improvement, comments such as "I want more specific details," "I wanted to know what kind of work is done in the first three years after joining a company in each industry," "I want to know if there are companies providing opportunities to work overseas," and "I wanted more time for free questions" suggested that students are seeking information that allows them to form a more concrete image of employment in Japan.

As represented by the comment, "Thank you so much to make this meeting happen. It was a great one!", it was clear that while there is room for improvement, the international students fully recognized the significance and importance of this project and were grateful for it.

Because the environment surrounding international students in job hunting in Japan differs from that of Japanese students, more detailed information and support are necessary. This project was made possible through the great efforts of the Tokyo Mita Club. It is hoped that the university will further enhance its support so that students who have chosen Keio University from among many universities worldwide can make the best choices for their future paths.

As of May 1, 2019, the number of international students studying at Keio University was 2,103, an increase of 195 from the previous year. Among them, 781 regular undergraduate students and 748 regular graduate students together account for over 70% of the total number of international students. Compared to five years ago in 2014, the total number of international students has increased by 800, including 310 undergraduate students and 166 graduate students. The reason for the increase in these regular students is thought to be largely due to the enhancement of programs where students can study entirely in English. In particular, the establishment of PEARL in the Faculty of Economics and the enhancement of the GIGA program at the Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC) have contributed to the increase in the number of international students studying as regular undergraduate students.

Looking back further at statistics from 2000, the total number of international students was 484, of which regular undergraduate students numbered 83, not even reaching 20% of the total. On the other hand, regular graduate students numbered 253, accounting for more than half of the international students. The remaining 148 were international students studying Japanese in the Japanese Language Program, which included exchange students. The breakdown of international students in 2019 has changed significantly compared to that time, with the number of regular undergraduate students exceeding the number of regular graduate students for the first time in seven years. It is expected that the number of undergraduate international students will increase further in May 2020, after PEARL reaches its final year of the rollout.

In the past, scholarships and housing arrangements were the two major issues in life support for international students. Regarding the former, Keio University's scholarship system is gradually being enhanced, alongside efforts such as applying for special programs by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) that provide priority placement for Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship students. Regarding housing, as of 2019, Keio University owns two buildings and leases eight buildings, with a total capacity of 662 international students. There is at least enough capacity to provide housing for exchange students. However, with the increase in regular students, it can be said that career guidance (career support) has been added as a new challenge.

The paths of international students after graduation or completion are truly diverse, and a considerable number leave Japan to return to their home countries or study in a third country. There are no accurate statistics on the percentage of those who remain in Japan and wish to find employment, and compared to Japanese graduates, it is easier to lose track of former international students. While the activities of Keio University alumni, represented by the Mita-kai, contribute to career support for current students, the network of former international students is still immature by comparison. Full-scale discussions have only just begun regarding how much effort the university should devote to career support for international students, and whether such support should be provided organizationally in the first place.