It has been said that there is a positive correlation between PISA math scores and a country’s economic growth and productivity. Up until their first year of high school, Japanese high school students are among the top OECD member states in terms of math literacy. The conclusion drawn from this theory is that economic growth and productivity are high. However, in the case of Japan, this relationship does not hold true. Japan’s GDP per capita is 21st out of 38 OECD member countries. The relationship between Japan’s PISA math scores and labor productivity growth rate deviates from the positive correlation. Japanese children have world-class math brains until their first year of high school. However, they are not making full use of them.
When there is a demand from society, universities that respond to it will appear. Chuo University has produced many talents for the legal profession and has a strong image of being a liberal arts university. This Chuo University is trying to strengthen its science elements. The highlight of this will be the Faculty of Agricultural Information, which is scheduled to open in 2027. This faculty aims to develop human resources who can also contribute to the digital transformation (DX) of agriculture. Some universities have also added their own ingenuity. Hokkaido University has made the study of the programming language “Python” compulsory for first-year students since 2020. Python is a language that can be used in a wide range of fields, including advanced data analysis and AI development. Data in the future could become a common language when thinking about solutions to problems with people around the world. Perhaps due to the influence of Hokkaido University’s compulsory course, there has been an increase in recent years in students from liberal arts faculties studying information science at graduate school.
Daikin Industries is known as a company that is experiencing rapid growth. Daikin Industries has established the “Daikin Information Technology University” within the company and has begun to develop its own DX talent. There is a need for DX employees who can digitally connect with customers and use the data obtained there to improve products and services. Around 2017, when this university was established, there were only 93 IT engineers, which is 1% of the employees. In a short period of time, they have trained 1,500 IT engineers, which is only 93 people, or 1% of the employees. Mathematics and statistics will be the foundation of economic growth in the long run. If you understand mathematics, you will be able to keep up with new technologies that will emerge in the future. In Japan, where the birthrate is declining, the nation cannot maintain its strength unless it enhances the potential of each individual. Fortunately, Japan has world-class academic ability in science and mathematics at the age of 15. It would be great if we could create a system to nurture the talents of this young workforce in the long term. Universities and companies that can make this happiness a reality are already emerging.
