[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 145 (Friday, October 7, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 7, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
  SENATE RESOLUTION 279--RELATIVE TO AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER 
                           LEARNING IN JAPAN

  Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, I rise today to support the efforts of 
American college and university branch campuses in Japan seeking to 
gain official status as American institutions of higher education from 
the Government of Japan. I strongly urge that Japan cease its 
discriminatory policy toward American branch campuses in Japan, and 
that the United States and Japanese Governments immediately commence 
negotiations toward a satisfactory resolution of this important issue.
  Currently, Japan has approximately 45,000 students studying in the 
United States. The United States, however, only has 1,500 students 
studying in Japan. This gross imbalance is detrimental to the best 
interests of the United States as well as Japan.
  The importance of educational and cultural exchange between our two 
countries cannot be overemphasized. Through such exchange, people from 
two very different countries learn to work and cooperate with one 
another. In current global economy, moreover, it is essential that the 
United States have citizens with the skills that permit our country to 
compete better with Japan.
  For these reasons, Japan must eliminate the arbitrary and 
unreasonable restraints they have been imposed on student exchange. 
Tokyo must make the policy changes necessary to enable greater numbers 
of American students to study in Japan.
  Japanese Government officials at the highest level have repeatedly 
called for increased grassroots exchange between the United States and 
Japan. American colleges and universities, partly in response to these 
calls, established overseas branch campuses in Japan in order to 
facilitate such educational and cultural exchange. These programs 
provide a unique opportunity for American students to study Japanese 
social, political and economic systems first-hand in Japan. They also 
provide a unique opportunity for Japanese students to pursue their own 
interests in America studies.
  To study at Japanese universities, Americans must first possess 
advanced language skills. Branch campuses have no such prerequisite. 
Indeed, they provide opportunities for Americans to acquire Japanese 
language skills in the best place to gain them--Japan itself.
  Unfortunately, Japan's current policies deny student visas to most 
American students wishing to attend American branch campuses. Mr. 
President, the greatest irony in this matter is that Japan has 
repeatedly promised to change its policies. Indeed, this Senator has 
received several written promises from appropriate officials that 
changes have actually been made. But the facts show otherwise. I urge 
my colleagues to support this resolution to send a message to Japan, 
and to assist American students encounter who wish to study there.
  I ask that the full text of the resolution appear in the Record 
following the statement.
  The resolution follows:

                              S. Res. 279

       Whereas Japan sends approximately 45,000 students to study 
     in the United States, but hosts only 1,500 American students 
     study in Japan;
       Whereas increased educational and cultural exchange between 
     the United States and Japan is mutually beneficial to both 
     countries;
       Whereas Japanese government officials at the highest level 
     have repeatedly called for cooperative ventures between the 
     United States and Japan in educational and cultural exchange 
     and stressed the need to foster the development of mutual 
     understanding of each country's social, political and 
     economic systems;
       Whereas certain U.S. institutions of higher education 
     established overseas branch campuses in Japan in order to 
     facilitate such educational and cultural exchange;
       Whereas the Association of American Colleges and 
     Universities in Japan (AACUJ) was formed to ensure the 
     academic quality of American branch campuses in Japan and to 
     enhance the educational contributions by American branch 
     campuses in Japan;
       Whereas AACUJ-approved campuses in Japan have been fully 
     accredited by appropriate accrediting agencies in the United 
     States;
       Whereas the Government of Japan has unreasonably refused to 
     accord official status to AACUJ-approved branch campuses in 
     Japan as accredited American institutions of higher 
     education;
       Whereas the Government of Japan, by its refusal to accord 
     official status to AACUJ-approved campuses in Japan as 
     American institutions of higher education, degrades the 
     status of AACUJ-approved branch campuses of the rights and 
     privileges available to students attending similar Japanese 
     institutions of higher education, including transportation 
     pass discounts, student visas and other rights and benefits 
     accompanied by student visas;
       Whereas foreign students wishing to attend AACUJ-approved 
     branch campuses in Japan are not eligible for student visas 
     and almost all American students must instead apply for 
     ``enhanced cultural activities visas'' in order to study at 
     these branch campuses in Japan;
       Whereas the process for securing ``enhanced cultural 
     visas'' has not been regularized and is unnecessarily 
     burdensome, time-consuming, and subject to procedural 
     surprises, irregularities, uncertainty and delay;
       Whereas the policy of the Government of Japan constituents 
     unreasonable restrictions on the number of American students 
     studying in Japan and contributes to the disproportionate 
     disparity between the number of Japanese students studying in 
     the United States and the number of American students 
     studying in Japan;
       Whereas Japanese university branch campuses in the United 
     States receive appropriate recognition through accreditation 
     by American accrediting agencies in the same way as American 
     universities;
       Whereas the Government of the United States grants foreign 
     students attending Japanese branch campuses in the United 
     States student visas with the same rights and privileges 
     available to students attending similar American institutions 
     of higher education: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That is the sense of the Senate that:
       (1) the Government of Japan immediately cease its 
     discriminatory policy toward AACUJ-approach branch campuses 
     in Japan;
       (2) the Government of Japan accord official status to 
     AACUJ-approved branch campuses in Japan as American 
     institutions of higher education and grant them all the 
     rights and privileges enjoyed by similar Japanese educational 
     institutions; and
       (3) the Government of Japan grant student visas to students 
     wishing to attend AACUJ-approved branch campuses in Japan and 
     accord them all the rights and privileges available to 
     students attending similar Japanese educational institutions.

                          ____________________