Several foreign-affiliated consulting firms are among the top 20 employers for Tokyo University graduates.McKinsey & Company 23 (16nd), PwC Consulting 14 (17th), Accenture XNUMX (XNUMXth), EY Strategy & Consulting XNUMX, ABeam Consulting XNUMX (XNUMXth).

 A man who went to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Tokyo told me this story. “I had a friend who went to McKinsey after going through all the national public service careers, a major city bank, and a foreign consulting firm. wanted to try."

 A law professor at the same university said:
“The best students will not go to law school, but will take a preliminary exam and go on to the legal profession. The next best will become a bureaucrat, and those who like to study will go on to graduate school. This is until the early 2010s. He is saying that he wants to go to McKinsey.

 When students at the University of Tokyo talk about their future careers, it seems that "foreign-affiliated consultants" come up as a topic of admiration.Like this.

 Unlike traditional Japanese companies, there is no lifetime employment or seniority system, and you are entrusted with work that is based on merit and responsibility.If the company they are in charge of improves their performance, they are highly evaluated for their abilities as consultants and are guaranteed a higher salary than their peers who work for Japanese companies. In his twenties, he became a section manager and manager, and soon became a “20 million yen player” with an annual income.

 Indeed, the myth of “foreign-affiliated consultants” seems to be spreading.In the background, it can be said that there is a sense of distrust and unpopularity towards bureaucrats.The University of Tokyo has fully demonstrated its function as a higher education institution that sends out bureaucrats.Considering the origin of the university, ``The purpose of the imperial university is to teach the arts and sciences that meet the needs of the nation and to explore the depths of it'' (Imperial University Ordinance First Order). It has produced many bureaucrats for nearly three centuries.An overwhelming number of senior executives (administrative vice-ministers, bureau chiefs, chief cabinet secretaries, etc.) have graduated from the University of Tokyo.

 However, since the middle of the 2010s, the number of people who have passed the National Public Service Examination to become bureaucrats from the University of Tokyo has decreased considerably.The transition is as follows.
2015年459人→16年433人→17年372人→18年329人→19年307人→ 20年249人→21年362人→22年217人。
It's halved from what it was seven years ago.It can be imagined that more than a few of the approximately 200 people went on to "foreign-affiliated consulting."From a different point of view, the Japanese government could call it a “brain drain” overseas.

 Why did the bureaucracy leave?
The finance ministry and other government ministries and agencies have been plagued with scandals, and politicians must wipe away the unreasonable words and deeds they repeat.Although they should be doing their best for the country, they are sometimes criticized for their low social evaluation.For that reason, I am extremely busy, but my salary is small.It is true that dissatisfaction is swirling among bureaucrats, such as the fact that such things do not feel rewarding.

 Losing talented people from Kasumigaseki is a big deal for the country. 20 years from now, 30 years from now, won't we just be bad bureaucrats?I'm worried.From the university's point of view, the outflow of students who have acquired a high degree of education and specialized knowledge to overseas countries is not a sign of unanimous approval, no matter how much the university advocates globalization.Universities should want to send out human resources who can contribute to the country and be useful to the local community.
 I'm curious about other difficult universities.What is the employment situation for foreign-affiliated consultants in Waseda-Keio?

◆ Waseda University
 Accenture 57 (50th), PwC Consulting 44 (XNUMXth), BayCurrent Consulting XNUMX (XNUMXth)

◆ Keio University
 Accenture 88 (83nd), PwC Consulting 47 (10rd), BayCurrent Consulting 37 (18th), ABeam Consulting 35 (20th), EY Strategy & Consulting XNUMX (XNUMXth)

 A man who graduated from Waseda University School of International Liberal Arts (SILS) (graduated in 2019) and works for Accenture said, "SLIS has a lot of instructional discussions and presentations in groups, but I felt that the process of students with various backgrounds cooperating with each other and outputting output is cultivating the adaptability necessary for consulting." ("Waseda University School of International Liberal Arts Information
2023”).

 For a long time, Japanese universities have continued to send outstanding human resources to the worlds of government, government, and academia.It seems to be wobbly.The principle of competition will come into play, and Japanese companies, ministries and agencies, local governments, and the world of academia will be ahead of the rest of the world in terms of accepting human resources.Even so, the number of young people continues to decrease due to the declining birthrate.I think the country, society, and universities should have a sense of crisis and tension.
<Employment data: University of Tokyo in 2022 from the University of Tokyo newspaper, Waseda University from the university website.Keio University includes completion of graduate school>

 

education journalist

Mr. Tetsuo Kobayashi

Born in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1960.educational journalist.He is the editor of Asahi Shimbun Publishing's "University Ranking" (1994-).His most recent publication is Nihon no Gakureki (Academic Background in Japan) (co-authored with Mr. Toshiaki Tachibana, Asahi Shimbun Publishing).

 

University Journal Online Editorial Department

This is the online editorial department of the university journal.
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