Practical Approaches and Insights in Combining General and Specialized Education of Japanese Universities —Case Study of Kyoto University and Hokkaido University
As international competition intensifies, the organic integration of general education and specialized education has become crucial for cultivating well-rounded talents in the new era. Kyoto University and Hokkaido University, as representatives of four-year persistent education, have been exploring the best way for combining general and specialized education based on respective educational philosophies. Kyoto University, adhering to academic freedom, generalizes some foundational specialized courses and encourages students to independently choose courses of interest, but leaving the implementation of general education to individual faculties. In contrast, Hokkaido University adopts a centralized management approach, with a specialized institution planning and executing the allocation of general education courses across the entire university. It focuses on cultivating students’ abilities needed for specialized knowledge through internationally and interdisciplinary oriented general education courses, enhancing students’ overall qualities and effectively feeding specialized knowledge back into society. Both universities’ curriculum structures reflect a high degree of integration between general and specialized education. As students’ progress through their years of study, the proportion of specialized courses gradually increases, applying the content learned in general education courses in the lower years to specialized studies. This path of combining general and specialized education provides beneficial insights for the reform of university education systems in China.