Research Seminar #50 : Transforming Regional Dynamics: The 300,000 International Students Plan and Japan’s Rise in Asia’s Higher Education Geopolitics – A Difference-in-Differences Approach
Nov 19 @ 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
Presenter: Tao Zou, University College London
Discussant: Hugo Horta, University of Hong Kong
Abstract
This study evaluates the causal impact of Japan’s 300,000 International Students Plan, introduced in 2008 to expand foreign enrolment. Using a difference-in-differences design with China, South Korea, and Singapore as comparators, we analyse panel data from 2004 to 2023. Results show that the policy significantly increased international student numbers, with effects growing over time—especially after 2014. We find that the policy’s success was shaped not only by its design (visa reforms, scholarships, university incentives) but also by favourable macroeconomic conditions. The study offers new causal evidence on higher education internationalisation and highlights the importance of aligning policy tools with structural context.
