The Reform Of Tenure System In Japanese Universities

An excellent faculty is an indispensable factor in building a first-class university.In recent years,many countries have reformed their faculty appointment systems,such as the tenure system reform in China.In Japan,a similar reform of was started as early as 1997.By analyzing the impact of the tenure system on teachers in Japan,this study aims to explore the experiences and future directions of tenure system in universities.Guided by the sociological institutionalism from the new institutionalism,this study views the reform of the Japanese university faculty tenure system as a dynamic process which is linked to the world and develops continuously,and analyzes the manifestation and impact of tenure system at three levels: mandatory regulation,norms,and culturecognition,based on Scott’s theory of three elements of institutions.In particular,the impact on tenured teachers is analyzed to determine whether tenure reform has achieved unity among the three levels and whether it is a successful institutional reform.Finally,the conclusion section introduces the reality of the "promotion-or-exit" system in China and combines it with the Japanese university tenure system to summarize the experiences and problems of the Japanese tenure reform process and explore the experiences that can be applied to the reform of the university personnel system in China.Through the analysis of the system,we found that the tenure system has been introduced and implemented in public and private universities since the legislation was enacted.Till now this reform has achieved the effect of improving the mobility of researchers,and tenure system has been improved and developed in recent years based on the real needs of researchers.However,it is clear from the interviews that the implementation of the tenure system has caused many researchers to encounter problems such as lack of motivation,lack of responsibility,interference with their research work,and instability in their personal lives.Thus,this reform has not achieved a good alignment between the mandatory regulation,norms,and culture-cognition,so the survival of the tenure system is still in an unstable state.Therefore,when reforming the tenure system in university,laws and policies should be updated and improved according to the current situation of teachers.Besides,a positive normative system should be established to provide positive incentives and guidance to teachers.What’s more,diversified teacher-centered support for teachers’ work and life should be realized,so as to establish a research employment system with equal emphasis on competition and support.