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Vol.5 : Kirk R. Patterson (Temple University Japan Campus)
March 28, 2007
Nationwide land price turns up for first time in 16 years
Abe's disapproval exceeds support
Sanyo disarray reaches top
Firms fork out 50% to ease TOB fears
Times are sweet for the best grads
Expanded coverage: Fashion starts with the girl next door
making a go of it：成功を収めている
tough going：困難な状況
skepticism：疑念
BA：(=Bachelor of Arts) 文学士号
faculty：教職員
accreditation：認定
（ K: Kirk, R: Russell ）
| R : |
So, Temple University Japan: tell us a little bit about Temple - in America and the Japan aspect of it? |
| K : |
Right. Temple University is located in Philadelphia, it's a Pennsylvania State university, a very large University - about 34,000 students - makes it one of the largest universities in the US. It's unique, especially as a state university - it has a very strong commitment to international education. So there is a 40-year old campus in Rome, there is a communication program in London.
The first and I believe still, the only American Law School in Beijing, and operating around a dozen countries around the world. The biggest operation overseas is the Japan campus. Temple University Japan campus, TUJ, was f ounded 25 years ago. |
| K : |
The 25th anniversary is this year. We've had quite a few ups and downs, making a go of it, as any new market entrant in Japan they also find it tough going especially with a new concept.
We came here when Japan was booming and people said: 'Well, why do we need an American University - we have great Universities in Japan and we don't need an American University to come in.' There was a lot of skepticism, a lot of people did not want us to be successful in Japan. |
| R : |
And what was the answer to that, what does Temple offer in Japan that's unique? |
| K : |
Well we offer an English language education. We offer American style education. We offer a variety of programs, so if you look at TUJ now, having gone through various ups and downs, we now have a very strong array of programs. We have an undergraduate BA program with 11 majors.
We have an MBA program. We have a Master's of Law, we have a Master's of Ph.D in education, we have continued education, corporate education, English language education. In addition to Tokyo we have small operations in Osaka and Fukuoka. |
| K : |
In total we have 3000 students. |
| R : |
And what's the size of the faculty here? |
| K : |
We have about 30 full-time faculty and then quite a large number of part-time or adjunct faculty in both degree and the non-degree programs. |
| R : |
I believe Temple recently got accreditation, which allows some kind of behavior in Japan which wasn't possible before, I'm not quite sure. Could you explain that? |
| K : |
Right. For the first 23 years of our existence we operated completely outside of the Japanese higher education system, in fact the Ministry of Education for many years wanted us to leave and told us to leave. But we ignored their suggestions and stayed.
And the advantage of being outside the system is we could offer pure American education: American credits, American degrees, American standards, American semester system. A pure American education in Japan did not have to be adjusted to the Japanese system, and that's really to answer your question what makes us special. It's to provide a pure American education degree, credits everything. |
| R : |
So this was something that Japanese Government didn't want originally? |
| K : |
Didn't want, very strongly did not want. |
| K : |
But we found there was a market for it - we could attract students, both Japanese and Americans, and others who wanted this type of education. So we do provide an important service for the local community both Japanese and non Japanese.
About 2 years ago, after a lot of discussions, the Minister of Education decided that we weren't going anywhere - we are going to stay. |
| K : |
We won't leave, so we may as well figure out - so they went from being quite uncooperative to be - I would say quite flexible. They found a way to recognize us, they created a whole new system, got a foreign University of Japan - foreign University of Japan campus recognition system which gave us almost all the benefits of a Japanese University, allows us to sponsor student's visas. So we offer full degree programs here.
Our students can get train pass discounts, which they could not get before, and various other benefits. Our students, our graduates can apply to go to Japanese public University grad schools, which was not possible before. So in almost every respect we are treated at the same level as a Japanese University and given the same benefits. But we can continue to offer pure American education, which is great for us. |
solid financial footing：確固とした経済基盤
come in handy：思いがけず役に立つ
deficits：赤字
tax break：税控除
endowments：寄付
（ K: Kirk, R: Russell ）
| R : |
What would you say are the most important things that you've contributed to Temple? |
| K : |
I would say several things: one, certainly getting the government recognition was a big one. Probably the second was putting us on a solid financial footing, and this is where my business background came in handy. Temple University Japan for many years ran huge deficits, and financially we were not stable, not solid, which, of course is not good in and of itself. It also meant that we couldn't provide all the benefits and services to students that we would have liked to have done.
We couldn't provide our employees with the salary benefits we wanted to provide - it made it difficult for us to invest in the future. So in various ways, the weak financial situation was hurting our ability to offer the best education and take care of our people.
I brought in some basic good management practices that I had picked up over the years, and now we are solidly in the black. Now we are probably the - or one of the only universities in the world that is in the black with no tax breaks, no government support and no endowments. |
| R : |
What is the market for American education in Japan? I mean obviously there is one, and Temple has been very successful, it is in the black. Other universities have tried and failed to offer western education in Japan. Could you describe what is it, is Temple mostly Japanese students? What's the market like here for a university? |
| K : |
We have seven different programs and so the mix of students between Japanese and non-Japanese varies depending on the program. In total we are roughly 60% Japanese and 40% non-Japanese, although the non-Japanese portion is going up.
So I suspect it will be close to 50-50 soon, because we can sponsor student visas. So there is a clear need for our services and our programs, and those vary depending on the students.
So, 18 year olds: they value us because it is English language. For foreigners who want to be in Japan but don't want to learn Japanese, we're a great opportunity for them. For Japanese who want to have access to global careers, we're a great option for them.
Then you get into the graduate programs: these are all programs that can be done by working professionals, even weekend programs. And so they can pursue their educational ambitions without giving up their jobs. Continued education, similar non-degree, non-credit programs for career development.
So for the foreign community and the internationally minded Japanese, we serve a certain niche education market, you know. Its not likely, certainly not in my lifetime that we are going to compete with Keio or Todai or whatever. |
| R : |
How do you see the market developing in Japan for non-Japanese universities like Temple, and how would you like to see it develop? |
| K : |
Well, it's an interesting question. For foreign universities considering the Japanese market, they will have to look at what are the opportunities in Japan versus other countries around the world. I have been contacted by several overseas universities who ask me about setting up the university in Japan. I say, 'Well, if you're willing to put in 25 years to make a goal of it, come on in.' |
| R : |
And one last question is, being in Japan presumably you are aware of the Nikkei Weekly, is it something that you read on occasion? |
| K : |
I have been a reader of the Nikkei Weekly and before that the Japan Economic Journal for a long time. In fact, my Ph.D dissertation was a comparison of foreign news reporting in Nikkei and the Wall Street Journal. |
| R : |
Amazing. So the Nikkei has been part of your life here in Japan. |
| K : |
Yes, although that research was done in the Japanese version, not Nikkei Weekly. But for that I had to study Nikkei, interview people at Nikkei. And I have a great respect for Nikkei and the reporting style and I think it's a great newspaper, both the Japanese version and Nikkei Weekly which I still subscribe to. |
| R : |
So there is one way for potential students to meet the Dean of Temple University. I believe that's to go and see one of your gigs, is that right? |
| K : |
Yes, of course, they are always welcome to come see us at Temple University itself, but if people prefer to talk to me about Temple University in evenings, I play with the band called Little Sister, we're a 50's to 80's cover band, rock and roll dance music. We play regularly around Tokyo, we often play at a live house in Roppongi called Rock Factory and our next gig there is Friday, April 6 from 8 o'clock to 11 o'clock. |
| R : |
Okay, we will be there. |
 Glen S. Fukushima / President & CEO
Airbus Japan K.K. 
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