27 Nov 2024
The government in Japan has recently recognised Cambridge International A Level as an entrance qualification to Japanese universities, opening up exciting study opportunities for Cambridge learners worldwide.
Cambridge has been working with Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to extend recognition of Cambridge qualifications in the country. We are delighted that MEXT has now amended its policy to enable all public and private universities in Japan – around 800 in total – to accept applications from Cambridge International A Level students.
Rise in English-taught courses
English-taught programmes outside of traditional anglophone countries are on the rise, having grown by an impressive 22% between 2022 and 2024 and Japan is no exception. While Japan has traditionally been a popular study destination for Cambridge learners in Asia, the rising number of English-taught degree programmes in the country means that Japan is now attracting students from around the world. And as our recent Destination Survey shows, Cambridge students are increasingly looking beyond the ‘big four’ English-speaking destinations – UK, US, Canada and Australia – for high-quality English-medium education.
The increase in English-taught courses in Japan is linked to a government strategy to diversify the student population and grow the number of international students in Japan to 400,000 a year by 2033. Safety, affordable tuition fees, generous scholarships and good employment prospects are some of the reasons why Japan is an attractive study destination for international students.
According to MEXT, there are currently around 90 courses at 45 universities where students can graduate entirely in English. This number is expected to increase to 200 courses by 2033. Leading universities such as Kyushu University, Tohoku University, the University of Tokyo, Waseda University and Sophia University have already seen a rise in applications from A Level students.
Exciting opportunities for Cambridge students
Yumiko Watanabe is Specially-Appointed Professor & Coordinator of the Future Global Leaderhip Program (FGL) at Tohoku University, a programme that offers undergraduate degree courses taught entirely in English. She says that many Cambridge students are accepted onto the programme as recipients of Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarships, awarded to students with outstanding academic achievements.
‘It seems to us that graduates of Cambridge International Schools have a high level of basic academic skills, including the ability to write reports and other documents,’ says Yumiko. ‘We also have an impression that they take their studies seriously and try to solve problems independently and have a better affinity with our teaching methods. As a result, many of them are very high achievers, especially in maths and physics.’
Former Cambridge International A Level student from Indonesia, Mateo Rafe Winarta, is currently in his first year of the FGL Program at Tohoku, studying a degree in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering. He recognises that the depth of his maths skills has been an advantage: ‘Thanks to my mathematical foundation rooted in my Cambridge International A Levels, I feel as though most of the maths topics [at university] are either a review or an extension of what I’ve already learnt.’
Mateo says studying in Japan has opened up new opportunities: ‘There are a lot of labs that I have the chance to enter here – close to 100 only for my major, which I think is huge! If I’m lucky, I’ll be in touch with a lot of very cutting-edge technology here. A lot of these labs are doing joint research with private companies, so I hope I could get in contact with them as well.’
New Cambridge IGCSE Japanese
Japanese universities recognise the skills and attributes that students develop during their Cambridge International A Level studies, which help them get ahead at university.
We have also just launched a new Cambridge IGCSE Japanese (available in Administrative Zones 4 and 5) to give students an extra advantage when opting to study in Japan. While Japanese language skills are not required to enter English-taught degree programmes, many universities want students to complete a language course during their degree. This new qualification will help students develop a wide range of foreign language skills, equipping them to live and study effectively in Japan.
Interested in studying in Japan?
Go to our Japan recognition pages to learn more about how apply to universities in Japan with Cambridge qualifications.
Find out about life as an international student in Japan from Cambridge students who are currently studying there.