Poor English-proficiency, however, is proving a hurdle to achieving higher academic goals, says Kyoto's president, Imura Hiroo. In the borderless era of the Internet, English skill will be even more important. One solution is to encourage Japanese undergraduates to take one-year study stints abroad. Given its strong academic reputation, outsiders may be excused for imagining students suffer under a heavy work load. But take a walk around the campus, which occupies a pleasant four-block area in northeastern Kyoto, and it is hard to find complainers.
Students cite the relaxed atmosphere on and off campus.
Reported by Murakami Mutsuko 3. This fact peeves some administrators who point out that the average marks of incoming students have fallen by two letter grades in certain departments. Of the university's nine faculties, engineering and architecture enjoy perhaps the best reputations. The institution's list of graduates is equally impressive. The university plans to continue teaching in English after Hong Kong's handover to China.