Japanese Government to Strengthen Screening of Foreign Students to Prevent Academic Espionage

A scene of a subway station in Tokyo
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jeong] The Japanese government is raising the bar for international students under the pretext of preventing 'academic espionage.'

According to major Japanese media including the Yomiuri Shimbun on the 26th, the Japanese government is promoting measures to strengthen residency screening for foreign students. The related measures are expected to be included in the 'Integrated Innovation Strategy 2020,' which will be finalized at the Cabinet meeting in mid-next month.

The Japanese government is pushing this policy under the justification of preventing the leakage of advanced technology within the country. As of May this year, the number of foreign students studying in Japan is approximately 228,000.

The draft of the 'Integrated Innovation Strategy 2020' released on this day expresses concerns about the leakage of technical information and skilled personnel from universities and other institutions, pointing out the need to further strengthen a comprehensive technology management system.

Specifically, it states the reinforcement of screening through the supplementation of immigration control and visa issuance systems for international students.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.