The ministry will give the money to universities and technical colleges that teach science and engineering.

The decision comes amid concerns that Japan trails other countries in educational investments in advanced technical fields.

The ministry aims to provide financial support lasting several years to institutions if they restructure their departments to better focus on fields expected to grow in the future. The funds would cover initial costs and operational expenses for a certain period.

Ministry officials plan to earmark more than 70 million dollars in their draft budget for the next fiscal year that starts in April 2023.

They are also considering measures to accelerate the digitalization of society as a whole. Some ideas include allowing national universities to temporarily lift their enrollment caps in information-technology departments.

The ministry is also looking to work with educational institutions and the business community to recruit specialists in the private sector to work as instructors.

According to www3.nhk.or.jp. Source of photo: internet