The University of Tokyo’s intention to move its enrolment season from spring to autumn, in order to align with the Western academic year and so help to remove barriers to international exchange, has given rise to intensified debate in the Japanese higher education sector, as well as the national media. Although the University of Tokyo has not yet officially decided to make the switch, and would not do so until 2015, it is widely anticipated that they will go ahead, given backing for the move by senior university officials. As the University of Tokyo is Japan’s oldest and most prestigious university, their decision will have a widespread impact. Twelve leading universities, including Tokyo, have agreed to establish a forum of their presidents to discuss making the change as a group.

Changing the academic year will have ramifications beyond the university sector. There is no suggestion of changing the school year, meaning that high school graduates will have a six-month gap before entering the University of Tokyo. Interest in the gap year concept has been growing over the past few years, as a proposed way of giving more young Japanese people study or work experience overseas. We have been consulted by the Ministry of the Economy, Trade and Industry and Keidanren, among others, on the UK gap year model. Now, since students who have gained a place at the University of Tokyo are seen to be the university’s responsibility, even before they have matriculated, the university is having to consider what opportunities to offer students during their “gap term”. We believe that there is an opportunity here for the UK education sector, given the strong association of gap years with both study abroad and the UK. We will hold a symposium in June for the Japanese higher education sector, to explain the gap year concept and the various options in the UK for such students.

The University of Tokyo and other universities considering a move to an autumn start are also faced with the issue of graduate recruitment. In Japan, this operates according to a rigid schedule in which all graduates are expected to attend company presentations and interviews at the same season, and begin work in the April following graduation. Those students who do not secure jobs according to this schedule have, until now, been relegated to part-time or temporary jobs. If the University of Tokyo and other leading institutions change their academic year, employers will certainly be pushed to respond. Nevertheless, the fact that these universities are considering such a drastic and risky change is testimony to the increasing pressure that they are under to internationalise.