Higher education, particularly universities, is currently undergoing structural change on a global scale, with an increasing interest in practical, policy-oriented issues and research in a variety of academic fields.

As a series of reforms and structural changes progressed in Japan, awareness of the necessity and importance of higher education research grew. Centers for higher education research, practice, and management were established one after the other, as well as graduate school programs for the training of researchers and higher education professionals. The development of educational and research systems began moving in earnest.

Because of the complexity of the higher education system and the diversity of issues it addresses, higher education research is large and broad in scope, encompassing the social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences, making it difficult to establish independent academic societies. However, given the importance of research on various issues related to higher education, which has become even more apparent in this era of change, forming an academic society is becoming increasingly important. Its purpose is to bring together researchers from various academic fields, strengthen the theoretical and methodological foundations of research, deepen and develop research, disseminate research results, and contribute to resolving practical and policy issues.

Given these circumstances, the following volunteer members have gathered as the founders of the Japanese Association of Higher Education Research.

(○ indicates a representative)

July 19, 1997

Makoto Aso　　　Yoshiya Abe　　Ikuo Amano ○　　Katsuhiro Arai　　Akira Arimoto
Shogo Ichikawa　　Morikazu Ushiogi　　Toru Umakoshi　　Takeikazu Ehara　　Hitoshi Osaki
Eiichi Kajita　　Motohisa Kaneko　　Kazuyuki Kitamura　　Yasunao Takahashi　　Akira Tachi
Masao Terasaki　　Yasuo Hara　　Masakazu Yano　　Atsunori Yamanoi　　Shinichi Yamamoto