The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan has selected an educational program developed by Soka University as part of a 2009 government initiative supporting institutions of higher learning and their students. Among the objectives of the ministry initiative is to enhance the overall quality of education through the selection of programs created by universities, junior colleges and technical high schools that can be spun off for a broad array of social applications.

Soka’s program focuses on a “career portfolio system,” which structures the undergraduate curricula to better meet a student’s placement needs upon graduation and provides year-long institutional support, including counseling and placement-related services, for students to explore, identify and develop career paths of their choosing. The program, which will receive ministerial support and funding through 2011, is expected to become a powerful tool in aiding students to pursue careers in this economic recession.