Photo/Illutration Juichi Yamagiwa, president of Kyoto University, during an interview with The Asahi Shimbun in Kyoto on June 9, says all international students should have access to the state relief aid program. (Kenta Sujino)

KYOTO—The president of Kyoto University called for the government to end its “discriminatory” policy and provide COVID-19 relief aid to all needy international students like it does with their Japanese counterparts.

Taking an inclusive approach would “contribute to Japan’s strength in leading the global community,” Juichi Yamagiwa said in a recent interview with The Asahi Shimbun.

The government’s relief program offers up to 200,000 yen ($1,850) per student. However, the government set up conditions for non-Japanese students, such as “high academic performance” and “an attendance rate of at least 80 percent.”

The requirements, according to the government, are intended to prevent fraudulent claims from foreigners working in Japan under the guise of attending schools.

Yamagiwa said the conditions, set only for foreign students, are “discriminatory.”

Like other academics, he sponsored an online petition campaigning for the removal of those conditions and advocating equal access to the government’s relief program.

Many students have been struggling to continue their education in Japan during the new coronavirus pandemic. The spread of the virus has forced many businesses to shut down, depriving the students of part-time jobs that they relied on to make ends meet and cover tuition fees.

Yamagiwa, a leading researcher in wild gorillas in Africa, said the relief program is ultimately intended to help students ride out the hardships caused by the pandemic.

“It is meant to provide assistance for students in economic trouble,” he said. “The purpose of the program is different from that of awarding scholarships.”

He noted that Japanese students will be basically eligible to receive the relief as long as their economic circumstances compel them to apply.

“It would be the right course of action to let overseas students sign up for the program based on their sheer needs,” he said.

Yamagiwa also underscored the increasing need to lure foreign students to Japan, citing the country’s demographic trends.

“Japan’s working population will continue to dwindle in the coming years because of the declining birthrate and graying of society,” he said. “The country will soon enter a time when it will have to rely on talented international students.”

Yamagiwa said one obvious way for the government to attract such students is to take a firm stand against discrimination.

He joined the online petition despite his official capacity as president of a state-supported university, the top official in the university’s management.

“I am almost always on the side of faculty members,” he said.

Yamagiwa pointed out the significance of faculty members expressing opposition to discrimination against international students.

“Faculty members have direct contact with foreign students on a routine basis,” he said. “As a result, the message they send is powerful.”

His prestigious university is not the only educational institution in Kyoto that has taken a stand against the government’s program. The Kyoto City University of Arts has also expressed opposition to the conditions.

Yamagiwa said it should not be surprising that the universities have adopted a similar policy.

“Given that the Kyoto City University of Arts was founded to nurture future artists, taking that stand is easily understandable,” he said. “Kyoto is home to colleges focused on culture or arts and have a large number of overseas students. Many of the universities and the faculties are equipped with international awareness.”

The digital petition, which started on May 26, was signed by 1,701 people, including more than 1,100 faculty members, by the June 9 deadline.

Yamagiwa was among about 40 sponsors of the online campaign. They sent the petition to the education ministry on June 15.

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