A Comparative Study on Relations between Universities and Non-university Institutions in Japan, the USA and European Countries

与传统大学相比，非大学机构提供更注重实践的短期课程，培养更具体的技能。然而，这些高等教育机构的毕业生越来越需要继续学习和进一步获得资格，因为劳动力市场需要的知识和技能迅速变化。在二十一世纪的知识型社会，对更高学历/学位的需求将会增加。因此，重要的是在教育系统中安排一些设备，促进非大学机构和大学之间的转移。这些手段包括：以学分和模块为基础的学习课程，衡量和确保课程质量的方法，以及学分转移和积累以及相互承认学位的制度。他们在美国做好了充分的准备，在美国，反向转学也不是罕见的情况，而想要跨州转学的学生有时会面临困难。在欧洲，1999年教育部长发表的《博洛尼亚宣言》对欧洲国家产生了重大影响。许多国家正在进行高等教育改革，引入学分制和学士和硕士两级制。根据我们对日本所有四年制大学的调查，转学的需求正在增加，私立大学对接收转学学生的态度尤其积极。他们的行为反映了市场机制。从这个意义上说，高等教育质量保障是一个世界性的问题。

Non-university institutions offer more practice-oriented shorter courses and foster more specific skills than traditional universities. The graduates of these higher education institutions, however, increasingly need to continue studying and to be qualified further because knowledge and skills required in the labor market rapidly change. The demands for higher qualifications/degrees will increase in the knowledge-based society in the 21st century. Therefore it is important to arrange some devices in the education system which facilitate transfers between non-university institutions and universities. Such devices are e.g. courses of study based on credits and modules, ways of measuring and assuring the quality of courses, and last not but least system for credit transfer and accumulation as well as mutual recognition of degrees. They are well prepared in the United States where reverse transfers are also not rare cases, while students who want to transfer across states sometimes face difficulties. In Europe, the Bologna Declaration in 1999 by ministers of education had a great impact on the European countries. Many countries are now carrying out reforms in higher education to introduce credits and two-tier system with bachelor's and master's degrees. According to our survey of all four-year universities in Japan, demands for transfers are increasing, and private universities are especially positive to accept transfer students. Their behavior reflects market mechanism. In this sense, quality assurance in higher education is the issue worldwide.