Due to low birth rate, Japan abolishes social sciences, STEM for all.

[Admiral Yi]

The principle output of humanities departments these days seems to be manufactured outrage.

[Duque de Bragança]

The principle output of humanities departments these days seems to be manufactured outrage.

They may be lacking sound principles, judging by the PC concepts they keep on producing, but what should be their principal output then, according to you? 

[Admiral Yi]

They may be lacking sound principles, judging by the PC concepts they keep on producing, but what should be their principal output then, according to you? 

Knowledge.

[Duque de Bragança]

Easier said than done.

[dps]

The problem is the government attempting to "pick winners" by such a blunt tool, rather than allowing students to sink or swim based on their individual choices.

Now granted that students often make terrible choices - but they all make different choices. Governments (everywhere) make terrible choices too, but in this case they are choosing to limit the options available to individuals - if they are wrong, the consequences are a lot more severe than individual students making bad choices: Japan deprived of students in whole sections of academics. If those studies happen to contribute in some way to success, Japan will lose out.

Lots of academic work doesn't appear to contribute directly to success, even in the STEM fields. However, it may contribute indirectly in all sorts of ways. That's why indulging basic human curiousity and creativity is a sound idea, rather than focussing to narrowly on what makes money short-term.

I don't disagree with any of this, but OTOH, if enrollment in Japanese universities is actually falling as rapidly as the article in the OP suggests, then some budget cutting may be necessary somewhere.  I don't think we have enough information to say exactly where those cuts should be made.  If there are universities with an enrollment of, say, 10,000 that only have 30 students majoring in the humanities, well, then those institutions probably should close their humanities departments.  But if 4000 students are majoring in the humanities, then if cuts need to be made, across-the-board cuts would seem a better choice.  The tone of the article makes it sound like the situation is closer to the latter, but it doesn't really say.

[Razgovory]

Is formal logic part of STEM?

[Savonarola]

My personal experience with recruiters is that about 6 in 10 have misunderstood my background and are pursuing me for an inappropriate position, 3 in 10 are pursuing me for something that is kinda-sorta aligned with by background (though not necessarily with my desired path), and 1 in 10 presents a desirable opening.  Responding to that 1 in 10 yields an interview 50 %- 60% of the time.  I have been told that I have better luck with recruiters than people who live in "hot" areas.

I had a similar experience on my last go-round.  The problem, for me, is that "Radio Frequency Engineer" can mean anything from someone who evaluates the effects of RF on computer components to someone who designs filters, to someone who designs cellular network.  Recruiters usually can't tell the difference.

Today, on the other side, we're looking for people who can design radio networks, and we frequently get resumes for people who designed digital chips for radios.  (Resumes which made it past our HR...)

[Lettow77]

 Despite what some here seem to proscribe as essential, Japan will struggle on even without superfluous liberal arts and boatloads of immigrants.

Japan's future is basically cozy decline. It's really, really cozy.

[jimmy olsen]

Also, Japan have a dire demographic problem. It's not lack of STEM graduates, it's lack of graduates. I'm not knowledgeable enough about their society and laws, but they need immigrants.

From what I heard, many people do not want to migrate there due to Japanese people's horrible racism.

A match made in Lettowist heaven.

[jimmy olsen]

Isn't psychology both a social science and STEM?

Psychology is mostly studied by students who either don't know why they are at university, or failed out of other subjects.

Or, you know, people who want to go into psychiatry, counseling and related fields.  

[jimmy olsen]

Social sciences give us the capacity for self-reflection, so it's hardly a surprise that any government with authoritarian tendencies would want to abolish those - it is much easier to rule cattle, even if that cattle can do math.

If we are to be serious for just a moment, I really question this premise.  Russia is actually a pretty well-read country, and it certainly has a lot of cultural achievements to be proud of.  One of the "advantages" of Soviet dictatorship was that culture could be shoved down your throat.  It sure did wonders steering Russians away from the cattle stage.

Yes, I understand the need for some rounding, but STEM people with some social science side interests tend to be way deeper thinkers than social science airheads.

The fact that it was shoved down their throat made it worthless. Culture has to be willingly explored for you to gain anything from it.

[Ed Anger]

Give me three months to train and free month in the country and I'll correct that demographic problem.

[Lettow77]

 Immigrants solve the declining Japanese population problem the way getting someone to urinate in your canteen solves a diminishing water problem.

[Ed Anger]

Honshu boning trip '16. Ide can come along too. He will be my dog robber.

[Razgovory]

Social sciences give us the capacity for self-reflection, so it's hardly a surprise that any government with authoritarian tendencies would want to abolish those - it is much easier to rule cattle, even if that cattle can do math.

If we are to be serious for just a moment, I really question this premise.  Russia is actually a pretty well-read country, and it certainly has a lot of cultural achievements to be proud of.  One of the "advantages" of Soviet dictatorship was that culture could be shoved down your throat.  It sure did wonders steering Russians away from the cattle stage.

Yes, I understand the need for some rounding, but STEM people with some social science side interests tend to be way deeper thinkers than social science airheads.

The fact that it was shoved down their throat made it worthless. Culture has to be willingly explored for you to gain anything from it.

The Soviet also viewed culture as a tool for indoctrination.  Writing the wrong book could get you in serious trouble, and you might not even know why it's the wrong book.