A group of students from the University of Tokyo submitted a petition with around 27,500 signatures to the university Tuesday, opposing plans to raise tuition fees. The university is expected to finalize the decision by the end of the month.
The student group had a 30-minute meeting with Hiroaki Aihara, the university’s vice president, and presented signatures collected online since June, along with a written request for the university to delay the decision.
Aihara acknowledged that the university has been considering the tuition hike for nearly three years and said he would convey the group's concerns to internal meetings.
“If they’ve been discussing this for three years, they should have involved students and faculty in the conversation,” said Rei Kanazawa, a 21-year-old senior at the university, after the meeting.
“We’re calling for open dialogue and at least a postponement of the decision,” she added.
According to the student group, faculty members have also raised objections. Some argue that the decision could influence other universities to follow suit, while others believe the government should increase public funding, including operational subsidies, instead of shifting the burden onto students.
On Sept. 10, the University of Tokyo announced its plan to raise annual tuition fees by roughly ¥100,000 ($706) for undergraduates joining the university in the next academic year.
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