Conceptual Design of the Information
Infrastructure for the Quality Assurance
System of Higher Education in NIAD-QE
KURAKAWA Kei
Professor, Research Department
Executive Director, Center for Japanese College and University Portraits
National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement of Higher Education (NIAD-QE)

Overview• Data on higher education at NIAD-QE• Japanese College and University Portraits (JPCUP)• Issues and challenges pertaining to the higher education data atNIAD-QE2

History of university reforms(Source 1) Kawaguchi, A. (2009) NIAD-UE University Evaluation Series. p.178.
(Source 2) Subcommittee for Quality Assurance System of University Committee, Central Council for Education,
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Toward Improvement and Enhancementof Quality Assurance System for a New Era (Summary of Discussion), Basic materials for reviewing quality
assurance system. (March 18, 2022)

Historical changes in relevant laws, council reports, etc.

Deregulation of the Standards
for Establishment of Universities
Relaxation of requirements forcurriculum, etc.
Effort to self-assessment
became mandatory.

The 30th anniversary ofthe foundation of NIAD-QE2004
2000

1991
1992
Greater emphasis on
graduate schoolsObligation to proactively provide
information on condition of education
Specification of theand research activities
Introduction of Certified Evaluation education information
items to be providedand Accreditation System2010

2016

Incorporation of national universities
Self-assessment became mandatory.
Effort to external evaluation became mandatory.

2021

Year

Evaluation of medium-term objectives and plans
National Institution for Academic
Degrees and University Evaluation(incorporated administrative agency)

National Institution for
Academic Degrees
Center for National
University Finance

National Institution for Academic
Degrees and University Evaluation

NIAD-QE(Incorporated administrative agency)

Center for National
University Finance and Management(incorporated administrative agency)

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Data collected for each business category
at NIAD-QE• Basic School Survey equivalent data collection (for nationaluniversities, public universities, for-profit universities, andpublic junior colleges)• Basic university information• University information utilization system (a business intelligencetool)• Certified evaluation and accreditation (for universities,colleges of technology, and professional graduate schools)••••

Self-assessment reports
Evaluation reports
Evidence (materials and data)
Common basic data format• National university corporation evaluation (for nationaluniversities and inter-university research institutecorporations)•••••• Japanese College and University Portraits (JPCUP) (fornational universities, public universities, for-profit
universities, and public junior colleges)• JPCUP for domestic public release• JPCUP for international public release• Other business categories• National Information Center for Academic Recognition
Japan (for universities, junior colleges, colleges oftechnology, professional training colleges, and educational
institutions operated by government ministries andagencies)• Survey of public universities (BI tool)• National university corporations’ financial statements

Performance reports
Performance evaluation reports
Evidence (materials and data)
Input data collection, data analysis collection
Judgment of the level of research achievement

4Information model for observing university
conditions
NIAD-QE collects various types of information at the whole organization or sub-organization level.

Graduation
Diploma
Research

InputsActivities

Outputs

Curriculum

Admissions

Matriculation
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Organizational structure
Each organization refers to a set of persons.
Organization □Organization □Organization □Organization □6

Organizational survey according to an informationmodel• Organization

Institution
Academic staff organizationAdministrative organization
Organizational principle for education andresearch• Education and research programs••••• Inputs• Members of the organization• Academic staff• Administrative and clerical staff• School sites, facilities, and equipment• Empty spaces• Athletic grounds• School buildings• Books and libraries• Attached facilities• Machines, instruments and specimens• Research Inputs• Outputs

The Standards for theEstablishment of Universities
were revised and enteredinto force on October 1,2022, and organizationalclassification changed.

• Activities• Education Policies••••

School mottos
Admissions policies
Curriculum policies
Diploma policies• Education services and support• Curricula• Extracurricular programs• Student financial support• Students’ learning status• Research activity status• Matriculation• Entrance exams• Students• Graduation• Graduate outcomes• Financial statements• Research outputs• Outputs of social engagement
7Conceptual diagram of the information
infrastructure for the quality assurance
system of higher education in NIAD-QE

Websites for the introduction of HEIs to high school
students (such as College Board, College Scorecard, CollegeNavigator, Discover Uni)

Websites that
disclose results ofuniversity evaluation

Highereducation
institutions(HEIs)

Centralized informationcollection Systems

Interconnected
cooperation

Websites that enable full-text
search, faceted navigation,
ranking and sorting of HEIs andtheir sub-organizations

Websites that provide profile data andsimple analysis pertaining to HEIs (such as
IPEDS and Unistats)8

Internal and external expectations for JPCUP• In 2010, the higher education database services (university information provision services) were terminated after thegovernment’s budget screening process.

• National Center for University Entrance Examinations/University Information Provision Service (Heart System, etc.)• Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO)/University Information Provision Service (Student Support Information Database, etc.) as part ofthe student support programs• National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation (NIAD-UE, the predecessor of NIAD-QE)/University information provision
service (University Information Database, etc.) as part of the duty of information collection, organization, and provision• Center for National University Finance and Management (CUFM)/University information provision service (National University Corporation
Management Handbook, etc.) as part of the duty of information provision for supporting improvement of finance and management• In April 2011, the information on education and research activities to be provided has been specified, as stipulated in Paragraph 1of Article 172-2, the Regulation for Enforcement of the School Education Act.
• "Interim Report on the Utilization and Public Provision of Education Information at Universities" (August 2011), Expert meetingfor supporting the utilization and promoting the public provision of education information at universities, MEXT
• Each university should voluntarily and autonomously engage in the use and public provision of education information.
• In this regard, it is important for university associations and other relevant organizations to support and complement the efforts of eachuniversity.
• Furthermore, through voluntary cooperation among university associations and other relevant organizations, the development of a common
infrastructure for the use and public provision of education information should be promoted.

• Three Objectives of the JPCUP• To clearly illustrate the mission of each university and the condition of its education and research activities and to promote the analysis ofeducation information that will contribute to enhancing the quality of education.
• To provide information in an accessible manner to stakeholders and interested parties in university education, both domestically andinternationally, including prospective students, local authorities, and industry representatives.
• To help universities and colleges respond to various surveys.
9The decision-making organization of JPCUP
Deliberative bodies within MEXT
Steering Committee for JPCUP
JPCUP Stakeholders Board

NIAD-QE
JPCUP Center
Secondaryeducation
institutions

Universities and other HEIs/
university associations
National universities
Public universities andjunior colleges
For-profit universities

Certified evaluation
The Promotion and Mutual Aid Corporation and accreditation
organizations
for Private Schools of Japan
Private School Management Information CenterIndustrial
sectorPrivate universities
and junior colleges
10Public provision of education information
through JPCUP
Result page (national and public)
Common search page for national, public, andprivate institutions

Result page (private)

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Public provision of education information forstudents planning to study in Japan
English-language
versionChinese-language
version12

Providing a resource platform for the analysis of
education information and data (1)Resource platform for the analysis of Basic University Information

Data from 2012 to 2022

Number and percentage of newly enrolled students
by graduated high school located prefecture
Number of graduates by years
required for graduation

Percentage ofinternational students
by nationality
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Providing a resource platform for the analysis ofeducation information and data (2)Number of examinees by selection method

Resource platform for the analysis of Survey of
Public Universities
Financial resources by university

Number of male and female academic staff by university
14Issues and challenges pertaining to the higher
education data at NIAD-QE• It is necessary to enhance our capabilities at all levels.
• Expertise in higher education data

• Understanding the purpose of using higher education data
• Definition of higher education data
• Understanding the future development of higher education data

• Provision of higher education data and interaction with the user community• Personnel of the management strategy office, institutional research (IR) office, information infrastructure department, andother departments who handle university data
• Researchers working with higher education data

• Service innovation and delivery strategies pertaining to higher education data
• Meaningful collaboration with public and private entities that operate higher education data management

NIAD-QE, The Promotion and Mutual Aid Corporation for Private Schools in Japan
National Institute for Educational Policy Research (NIER), National Institute of Science and Technology Policy (NISTEP)
National Center for University Entrance Examinations, Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO)
The Japan Association of National Universities (JANU), The Japan Association of Public Universities, Japan Association of
Public Junior Colleges, The Japan Association of Private Universities and Colleges (JAPUC), Association of Private
Universities of Japan (APUJ), The Association of Private Junior Colleges in Japan• Certified evaluation and accreditation organizations• Non-profit organizations that perform IR and student surveys• Private enterprises in the university entrance exam industry, university enrollment information industry, and higher
education information industry, etc.
••••

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