An Initiative for Career Support for International Students

In this article, we report on a career support discussion meeting piloted for international students studying at Keio University who wish to find employment at companies within Japan after graduation or completion of their studies. Morisawa (then Manager of Academic Affairs, International/Student Support at Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC)) will describe the actual state of the meeting, and Obi will provide supplementary explanations regarding the surrounding circumstances.

On April 20, the first career support discussion meeting for international students was hosted by the Tokyo Mita Club, a membership club for Keio University alumni. The primary targets were international students studying in the PEARL program at the Faculty of Economics and the GIGA program at the Faculty of Policy Management and Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, both of which use English as the primary language of instruction. A preliminary survey of students in both programs regarding their needs and wishes showed that over 80% of respondents were interested in participating in career events, and 69 students expressed a desire to attend. Based on these results, the organizers and the university held discussions and organized a career support event primarily for international students with a certain level of Japanese language proficiency.

The first half of the program consisted of talks by alumni regarding "Working in Japan" and "Industry explanations for finance, trading companies, and IT." In the second half, tables were set up by industry for individual explanations and consultations. The enthusiastic explanations by Keio University alumni and the individual consultations in the second half provided a rare opportunity to hear directly from Keio University alumni active in Japanese companies. As a result, the scheduled two hours were significantly extended because time ran out.

According to a post-event survey of 34 participants, 83% of respondents were satisfied overall, 83% were satisfied with the talks in the first half, and 69% were satisfied with the individual consultation sessions in the second half. Positive comments included, "I received kind advice," "I understood the perspective of HR and how people in the industry view international students," and "My motivation for job hunting in Japan increased." Regarding requests for improvement, there were comments such as, "I want more specific explanations," "I wanted to know what kind of work people do in the first three years after joining each industry," "I want to know if there are companies providing opportunities to work overseas," and "I wanted more time for free questions." These indicated that students are seeking information that allows them to form a more concrete image of employment in Japan.

As represented by the comment, "Thank you so much to make this meeting happen. It was a great one!", it was clear that while there is room for improvement, the international students fully recognized the significance and importance of this project and were grateful.

Because the environment surrounding international students in job hunting in Japan differs from that of Japanese students, more detailed information provision and support are necessary. This project was realized through the great efforts of the Tokyo Mita Club. It is hoped that the university will further enhance its support so that students who have chosen Keio University from among many universities in the world to study abroad can make the best career choices.

The number of international students studying at Keio University was 2,103 as of May 1, 2019, an increase of 195 from the previous year. Among them, 781 regular undergraduate students and 748 regular graduate students together account for over 70% of the total number of international students. Compared to five years ago in 2014, the total number of international students has increased by 800, including 310 undergraduate students and 166 graduate students. The reason for the increase in these regular students is thought to be largely due to the enhancement of programs where students can study only in English. In particular, the enhancement of PEARL in the Faculty of Economics and the GIGA program at Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC) has contributed to the increase in the number of international students studying as regular undergraduate students.

Looking further back at statistics from 2000, the total number of international students was 484, of which regular undergraduate students were 83, not even reaching 20% of the total. On the other hand, regular graduate students numbered 253, accounting for more than half of the international students. The remaining 148 were international students studying Japanese in the Japanese Language Program, which included exchange students. The breakdown of international students in 2019 has changed significantly compared to that time, with the number of regular undergraduate students exceeding the number of regular graduate students for the first time in seven years. It is expected that the number of undergraduate international students will increase further in May 2020, after PEARL reaches its full capacity across all year levels.

In the past, scholarships and housing arrangements were the two major issues in life support for international students. Regarding the former, Keio University's scholarship system is gradually being enhanced, along with efforts such as applying for special programs by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) for the priority placement of government-sponsored international students. Regarding housing, as of 2019, Keio University owns two buildings and leases eight buildings, with a total capacity of 662 international students. There is at least enough room to provide housing for exchange students. However, with the increase in regular students, it can be said that career guidance (employment support) has been added as a new challenge.

The career paths of international students after graduation or completion are truly diverse, and a considerable number of them leave Japan to return to their home countries or study in a third country. There are no accurate statistics on the percentage of those who stay in Japan and wish to find employment, and compared to Japanese graduates, it is easier to lose track of former international students. While the activities of Keio University alumni, represented by the Mita-kai, contribute to the employment support of current students, the network of former international students is immature by comparison. Full-scale discussion has only just begun regarding how much effort the university should devote to employment support for international students, and whether such support should be provided systematically in the first place.