Development and Mobility of the Academic Profession in East Asia

This article examines patterns of academic mobility of Japanese and East Asian universities from a comparative and historical perspective. Firstly, it overviews the historical background of the academic profession in this region, especially focusing on Japan. Secondly, making use of the typology of mobility patterns by Kim and Locke (2010), the author reveals a contradictory relationship between gaining international profiles in the academic profession and the capacity of fostering next generation academics. The author also identifies the impact of colonization and other international relationships even in the contemporary patterns of academic mobility.