University Graduates’ Employment and Work: A Comparison between Japan and Europe

It is a conventional wisdom that transition from higher education to employment is smoother in Japan than in Europe. We also take for granted that study in Japan serves professional preparation less directly. But how are the links between study and employment some years after graduation? How do the rewards for educational achievement, the utilisation of competencies and the job satisfaction compare? What factors determine professional achievement in various countries? Findings of a survey will be presented which was undertaken in Japan and 11 European countries. About 40,000 university graduates responded about four years after graduation. Finally, methodological issues of international comparative studies will be discussed.

Professor Ulrich Teichler is sociologist at the Centre for Research on Higher Education and Work, University of Kassel (Germany). He was formerly Chairman of the Consortium of Higher Education Researchers (CHER) and is currently president of the European Association for Institutional Research (EAIR). He coordinated and undertook comparative research projects on higher education systems, education and employment, international mobility and cooperation in higher education, the academic profession and careers of university graduates including Japan, Germany and other industrialised countries.