Universities should drive future of Indo-Japan relations
Japan’s extraordinary transformation is not only about capital and technology, but a deliberate national commitment to promote education, research, innovation and human resource development
Dr. C. RAJ KUMAR
The SUCCESSFUL VISIT TO INDIA OF a high-powered delegation led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan has sowed the seeds of an excellent opportunity to deepen economic and academic cooperation between our two democracies.
It’s pertinent to remember that in 1945, Japan came out of the Second World War devastated in every sense of the word. The cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were completely destroyed by the first atomic bombs used in warfare. Japan’s industrial infrastructure and economy were in ruins, and national confidence was at its nadir in the island nation’s history. But a few decades on, Japan became one of the most remarkable and transformative recovery stories in human history. By the 1960s-1970s, Japan emerged as a global industrial and innovation power. By the 1980s, Japanese corporations became global leaders in automobiles, engineering, robotics, electronics, and advanced manufacturing.
The story of Japan’s extraordinary transformation is not only about capital and technology, but about a deliberate national commitment to promote education, research, innovation, and human resource development centred around people, ideas, and institutions. Universities in Japan became vehicles of national imagination and intellectual recovery. They produced outstanding engineers who resurrected industries, and business leaders who contributed to innovation and entrepreneurship, and managers who re-organised Japanese corporations. They also produced researchers who catalysed development of a knowledge economy that drove economic competitiveness.
In the past two decades, the India-Japan partnership has grown into one of Asia’s most promising and sustainable strategic alliances. Collaboration between India and Japan spans numerous sectors, including infrastructure, defence, maritime security, economic development, and technology transfer. Investment in men, material and technology by Japanese companies and government agencies has transformed sectors ranging from automobiles to logistics and supply chain management in India.
The Delhi Metro, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Railway Project, and several industrial corridors are outstanding examples of this growing partnership, which is driving India’s development. Yet despite this burgeoning relationship, India-Japan partnership in academic collaboration and knowledge creation is limited.
The number of Indian students in Japan, remains small in relation to our population and educational aspirations, while the number of Japanese scholars studying in India is modest. Joint research programmes are far below potential. Very few Indian universities have dedicated Japan study centres, and India-focused academic programmes in Japan don’t reflect our two nations’ huge potential.
This imbalance presents a challenge and opportunity. Partnerships that focus on geopolitical alignment and strategic engagement, or built around governments, are vulnerable to changing national priorities. However, people-to-people and university-level partnerships are the strongest and most enduring of international relationships which bring generations of people who understand each other, together. In particular, universities have a very significant role in creating that understanding.
During the past century, the United States primarily built its global influence through its world-renowned universities. In more recent times, China has been investing heavily in higher education to support economic and human development enabling the rise of globally top-ranked universities.
Earlier, the transformation of post-war Japan was led by its world-class universities and cutting-edge research. Today Japan has one of the strongest higher education systems in Asia. Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Waseda universities, and Institute of Science Tokyo, to name a few, are consistently ranked among the world’s premier higher education institutions. It should be noted that the rise of its globally acclaimed universities is the outcome of consistent public investment in research, innovation, and human capital with Japan’s industry having also contributed to this development.
The next phase of India-Japan relations should be built on a simple but powerful development strategy. Infrastructure projects can link cities, but universities can link societies. Investment creates growth, but knowledge creates transformation. Governments can sign agreements, but students build relationships. Political leaders may strengthen ties, but high-quality educators and scholars are needed to sustain ties across generations.
Japan’s resurgence from the ashes of post-World War II is clinching evidence of the prime importance of investing in universities, research institutions, and human capital development. Hiroshima’s transformation from a devastated city which suffered the full blast of the world’s first atomic bomb is nothing if not an inspiring example of resilience, peace, education, human and social development.
Japan’s reconstruction is not only the outcome of sound economic policies but also of substantive investment in the development of knowledge, capacity, and human capabilities. India and Japan now have a unique opportunity to build a partnership inspired by history and experience.
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