Prime Minister Kishida and Mrs. Kishida’s Talks with Japanese Students Studying Abroad (Summary)

On April 12, commencing at 3:15 p.m. local time (local time; 4:15 a.m. on April 13, Japan Time) for approximately 30 minutes, Mr. KISHIDA Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan, and Mrs. KISHIDA Yuko, the spouse of the Prime Minister of Japan, who are visiting the State of North Carolina, United States of America, held talks with Japanese students studying abroad at Nagoya University Global Campus at North Carolina State University. An overview is as follows.

1. Prime Minister Kishida received a briefing from President Naoshi Sugiyama of Nagoya University on Nagoya University Global Campus at North Carolina State University.

2. Prime Minister Kishida then exchanged views with Japanese students studying at universities in the State of North Carolina.

(1) At the outset, Prime Minister Kishida spoke of the goal of more than doubling the number of Japanese students studying abroad to 500,000 per year over the next 10 years through the promotion of the "Japan-Mobility and Internationalisation: Re-engaging and Accelerating Initiative for future generations" . He then stated that the Government of Japan will expand projects that support the overseas expansion of Japanese universities and the conclusion of inter-university agreements in order to increase the number of exchange students. He also noted that the government and the private sector will work together to enhance financial support measures for students studying abroad.

(2) Prime Minister Kishida and Mrs. Kishida were briefed by the participating Japanese students on their study abroad experiences.

3. The government will consider measures to drastically expand the "Tobitate! Japan Representative Program," which has sent more than 10,000 Japanese students overseas to date. In addition, the government will consider measures to drastically expand the JASSO's overseas study support program by establishing a "special quota" to drive growth fields, and specifically by substantially expanding scholarships for students studying in top-class graduate schools and doctoral programs in the sciences in the United States with reference to top-level scholarships in the private sector. In addition, these directions will be incorporated into the basic policy for economic and fiscal management and reform, and materialized in the budget compilation process.