To Become A Global Leader, Japan Needs More Liberal Arts Education, Not Less

After falling behind China to the position of world’s third largest economy, Japan tries, hard, very hard to re-emerge in the global economy. Last year, for instance, Tokyo’s Governor Yoichi Masuzoe sought to address a key resource Japan is lacking in its bid to innovate and compete effectively in the global economy, talent -- by looking outside Japan. “We have to import many intelligent people from abroad,” stated the Governor at a press conference. “We badly need young talented persons.” Now comes Japan’s Prime-Minister Shinzo Abe’s drive to address innovation at the national level by restructuring Japanese universities—scale back liberal arts education in favor R&D programs and more structured curricula. “The drive is part of Mr. Abe’s efforts to revitalize Japan, injecting more dynamism and innovation into the economy through a greater focus on research, and improving the competitiveness of its graduates with precisely tailored course work,” writes Wall Street Journal’s Mitsuru Obe. But Japan needs more liberal education rather than less, in our opinion. Why? Because Liberal education helps students develop a personal philosophy -- a broad view of the human condition that informs every decision they make, and their relationship with the organization and the people they lead--as discussed in The Ten Golden Rules of Leadership. A personal philosophy is an essential ingredient of inspirational leadership—something Japan desperately needs after two “lost decades.” Besides, liberal education may be more connected to innovation that is generally believed, especially in the social media industry where a liberal arts degree can be a “hot ticket.” R&D as %of GDP In @014