The restructuring of Japanese universities in 1990s-2000s was prompted by the reduction of the available financial resources, growing social differentiation and decreasing student numbers. The reforms influenced the coverage, the cost and the quality of university education. The concentration of funds in a small number of educational institutions alongside with the reduction of financing has resulted in increasing the educational gaps rather than in the rise of the average level of education in the country. The search for optimal combination of financial, quality and social characteristics of the university education in Japan is far from being over. However, the experience gained and the lessons of the accomplished reforms may be of interest to many countries including Russia.
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