Yoshiiaki Obara Yoshiiaki Obara is president of Tamagawa University. A university president should perhaps keep quiet about problems his institution faces. But it would be a lie to say that no problems exist. Indeed, presidents of private-sector institutions of higher education in Japan face a range of challenging issues.
Some issues relate to the size of an institution.
Private institutions in Japan range in size from 1,000 to 100,000 students. A president of a large university, having to preside over campus-wide faculty meetings, may long for a family atmosphere similar to faculty meetings at a small college. Some private colleges have but a single school or faculty. A president of such a college may feel at a disadvantage in the competition to attract students. A president of an engineering college has to work hard to keep up with ever-changing technologies, while one at a humanities college can sit back and relax.