ABSTRACT
In recent years, numerous governments have proceeded with reforms with a view to increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of university systems. These reforms aimed generally at according greater freedom to institutions and, at the same time, rationalising their governance by clarifying the responsibilities of the management, with a shift in power away from departments in the institutional decision-making process. The recent reform of the national universities in Japan has also reflected this global trend. Japanese national universities were, until March 2004, an integral part of the national government under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and were directly operated by it, although they enjoyed academic freedom in a limited manner. In April 2004, by virtue of National University Corporation Law of 2003 that accorded them the status of national university corporations (NUCs), they were given a legal personality and became more autonomous in terms of their management.
