How Japanese Universities Develop Study Abroad Programs in Southeast Asia: A Sensemaking Perspective

Abstract

Despite extensive research on the push-pull factors of student motivation to study abroad, there has been little examination of university academics’ and administrators’ attitudes as program developers and providers. This research draws upon the literature of sensemaking to investigate how and why Japanese university academics and administrators develop study abroad programs in Southeast Asia. The analysis reveals that university academics and administrators balance the characteristics of their university and student demands with advantages to themselves. Involvement with study abroad allows academics to promote their research, attract students to their field, and compete with other departments. Administrators seek to increase their involvement in education through collaboration with academics. Furthermore, both academics and administrators recognize that the involvement of Southeast Asian graduates of Japanese universities can facilitate the development of study abroad programs in Southeast Asia. This social analysis highlights the historical and educational relationships between Japan and Southeast Asia and provides a new perspective for the analysis of not only motivations, but also the processes that lead from motivations to actions.