Universities Urge Companies to 'Look at Academic Performance Too' as Career Centers Take Action

The Research Group Connecting University Learning and Hiring (Representative: Toshihiko Sowa) held an online symposium on July 13, 2026, titled 'Rethinking the Connection Between University Learning and Job Hunting—In Response to Changes in Government Requests Regarding Recruitment.'

Policy officials from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), experts, and representatives from companies and universities took the stage, with 271 career center staff from 173 universities participating—approaching the scale of 200 universities and 300 participants. Among respondents to a post-event survey, 89.4% answered 'satisfied' or 'very satisfied.'

Symposium Overview

・Policy Explanation: Hiroyasu Haruyama (Director, Student Support Division, Higher Education Bureau, MEXT)

・Keynote Presentation: Koichiro Konno (Chair, 'Study Group on the Future of Human Resource Development Policy,' Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare; Professor Emeritus, Gakushuin University)

Raised the issue that the core of Japan's employment problem may not be the disruption of study time, but rather the change in student quality caused by corporate evaluation methods.

・Corporate Perspective: Toshihiko Sowa (Representative, Human Resources Research Institute, Inc.)

Explained that evaluating both extracurricular activities and academic performance is extremely simple and highly beneficial for companies.

・University Frontline Perspective: Ken Awano (Career Center, Gakushuin University)

Shared practical approaches to engaging companies and the positive responses received, proposing collaborative efforts moving forward.

・Panel Discussion with all speakers

Discussions were held from multiple perspectives—policy, expert, corporate, and university—on how evaluation methods affect student behavior and learning quality, why academic evaluation is rational for companies, and practical examples from university campuses.

Background of the Event

In March 2026, the government requested that companies use university transcripts and similar documents as foundational materials in hiring evaluations, appropriately assessing academic achievements and transferable skills. Unlike previous requests that focused on 'timing,' such as correcting early recruitment practices, this new request specifically addresses 'evaluation methods.' With the spread of generative AI, students are increasingly focusing more on 'how to present experiences' than on 'the experiences themselves.' Against this backdrop, the importance of evaluating transferable skills based on academic performance—something AI cannot fabricate—has been emphasized.

Participant Survey: 89.4% Satisfaction, Nearly 90% of Respondents Considering Concrete Follow-up Actions

Survey Overview: Conducted by the Research Group via a web-based response form targeting symposium participants (university career center staff).

Of the 161 valid responses, 89.4% answered 'satisfied' or 'very satisfied' (31.7% 'very satisfied'). In open-ended responses, 87.5% described specific future initiatives, with 24.4% mentioning 'dialogue with companies' and 'requests for academic evaluation.'

Actual feedback included numerous comments indicating follow-up actions:

'We would like to propose initiatives like those discussed today during information exchanges with visiting companies. We would appreciate receiving a template proposal letter addressed to companies.' (Career center staff member)

'It has been a major challenge that students, even in their early years, prioritize job hunting over academics. We aim to clearly communicate the concept of 'transferable skills acquired through academics' not only to students but also to faculty, and from there initiate steps toward curriculum improvement and ultimately toward teaching management that visualizes learning outcomes.' (Career center staff member)

Future Developments: Agreement on Recommendations and Growing Momentum Among Universities

During the symposium, it was proposed that each university's career center individually send request letters to companies, urging them to utilize transcripts and enrollment records. All panelists agreed, and participating career centers were encouraged to implement this. Survey responses showed that many participants are considering concrete follow-up actions, including outreach to companies.

In response to these results, plans are underway to hold the next symposium targeting 'companies' engaged in recruitment activities.

Additionally, a working group will be established with career center staff who expressed support for the research group, to continue information sharing and collaboration.

Event Overview

Event Name

Rethinking the Connection Between University Learning and Job Hunting—In Response to Changes in Government Requests Regarding Recruitment

Date and Time

July 13, 2026 (Mon), 16:00–17:30

Format

Online (Free of charge)

Participation Record

173 universities, 271 career center staff participated

Organizer

Research Group Connecting University Learning and Hiring

Cooperation

Gakushuin University Career Center, Mynavi Corporation

Speakers

Toshihiko Sowa (Representative, Research Group Connecting University Learning and Hiring; Representative, Human Resources Research Institute, Inc.)

Hiroyasu Haruyama (Director, Student Support Division, Higher Education Bureau, MEXT)

Koichiro Konno (Chair, 'Study Group on the Future of Human Resource Development Policy,' MHLW; Professor Emeritus, Gakushuin University)

Ken Awano (Career Center, Gakushuin University)

Taiichiro Tsuji (Representative, NPO DSS)

Reference Materials (For Media Inquiries)

・Recorded archive

・Full set of presentation materials from the symposium (policy explanation, keynote, corporate perspective, university perspective)

・Detailed survey results (question-by-question analysis, full text of open-ended responses)

・Speaker profiles

・Coordination for interviews and comment requests with speakers

Please contact the inquiry address below for access to any of the above materials.

Inquiries Regarding This Release

Secretariat, Research Group Connecting University Learning and Hiring

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 03-6272-6095