ABSTRACT
Regional cooperation and the integration of higher education across borders have been researched extensively, but studies have largely focused on the European context. A comparatively under-researched world region is East Asia. While lacking the formalized governance structures for economic and political integration found in Europe, the countries and societies in the East Asian cultural sphere are grounded in the traditions of Sinic civilization and continue to share a number of commonalities. However, the independent states that make up this sphere also have developed strong national identities, varied historical memories, and competitive political and economic ambitions. Within this context, our chapter explores the perspectives from Japan, through an investigation of the ideas of students enrolled at Japanese universities who undertook a period of mobility in the East Asian region. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative data from two doctoral research projects, we present a nuanced picture of the ideas of East Asian regional cooperation and the multi-layered national and regional identities of students at Japanese universities.
