Japan Adrift Without Moral Mission, by Steven C. Clemons [deleted,
sorry]
WALTER MONDALE ADDRESSES JAPAN'S CARTELS OF THE MIND
In a letter dated 25 April 1995, U.S. Ambassador
to Japan Walter F. Mondale wrote to JPRI Board Member Ivan Hall expressing
serious concern about the poor treatment by Japan's Ministry of Education
of long-term foreign lecturers, gaikokujin kyoshi, at Japan's national
universities. Intellectual exchange with Japan is largely a one-way street
which Hall has already outlined in JPRI Working Paper No. 3, Academic
Apartheid in Japan, and JPRI Working Paper No. 9, Academic Apartheid
Revisited. This matter is of continuing concern and deserves the attention
of those who wish to establish reciprocity in international exchange and
challenge Japan's cartels of the mind. Segments of Ambassador Mondale's
letter to Ivan Hall follow:
It was a pleasure to meet with you and the delegation of foreign lecturers.
I only wish it had been under better circumstances. As I shared with the
group, I am concerned about the recent and impending dismissals of long-term
foreign lecturers at Japanese national universities. I am particularly
sympathetic to the situation of those teachers so close to retirement.
. . .In addition to the press release which we produced immediately
following our meeting, we sent a letter to the Director of the Ministry
of Education's Higher Education Bureau asking for clarification of Japanese
government policy regarding the employment of foreign lecturers. We have
also been in touch with the British Council, the German Embassy and the
German Academic Exchange Service regarding this issue. As you know, I have
spoken publicly about the subject as well, including in a presentation
I gave at the Asahi Shimbun last Tuesday.
I am a strong proponent of the value and importance of academic exchange
of faculty and students in maintaining a strong and sound relationship.
Therefore I was very disappointed to hear that a number of these foreign
lecturers will not be replaced. It is in both of our best interests to
encourage and welcome foreign faculty and students to our campuses.
I remain interested and concerned.
Walter F. Mondale
(click
here to see the second and final update on this issue from JPRI)
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