September 21, 2022 33:08 E10

Higher Ed Without Borders interviews Dr. Matthew Wilson, Dean and President of Temple University, Japan Campus

Summary

Dr. Wilson is the Dean and President of Temple University Japan Campus. Temple University Japan was founded in 1982 and has nearly 4,000 students in Tokyo and Osaka.

Dr. Matthew J. Wilson oversees the Japan campus of Temple University and its 4,000 undergraduate, graduate, and non-degree students in Tokyo and Osaka. Wilson has served as President of the University of Akron and Missouri Western State University in addition to serving in various other senior academic posts. Wilson has taught law in the U.S., Japan, South Korea, China, and Vietnam. He has spoken about international opportunities and education at several hundred universities around the world.

The interview includes the following questions:

As you work across different cultures and regions in the world, what do you see as the values of higher education that transcend borders – and what are some areas that you see the need for adaptation and customization in different environments?
Many US institutions have established branch campuses throughout the world. Some have been successful, and many have not. In particular, Japan has been a challenging place for a branch campus to succeed. Yet Temple, Japan by any metric is a great success story. Why has Temple been a success?
You have led three different universities as a President. It is often said that this is really a very lonely job. Many of the listeners are this podcast are either aspirants for such leadership roles or current incumbents of presidential positions. Could you please share with them some lessons that you learned / best practices you have seen in other presidents?
It is somewhat rare for a US educator to go overseas for an extended period of time. This is the second time you worked Temple in Japan. What attracted you to returning to Japan and what have you found as the challenges?
As a university educator and successful administrator did you have mentors and guides along the way and what lessons did you learn from them about being a university leader?
It’s been 40 years since Temple University Japan opened its campus. Tell our audience about your alumni. Do they stay in Japan, and what type of careers have they entered? Do they stay in touch with the university and assist the next generation?

Comments and Suggestions:

Higher Ed Without Borders would love to hear your ideas for future topics and guests. Connect with Dr. Senthil Nathan or Dean Hoke on LinkedIn. You can also visit the Edu Alliance website. To hear the entire series please subscribe to Higher Ed Without Borders on your preferred podcast platforms such as Apple, Spotify, or Google. The podcast is sponsored by Edu Alliance, an education consulting firm located in Bloomington Indiana, and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. We assist higher education institutions worldwide on a variety of mission-critical projects.

If your organization wants to know more about how Edu Alliance can best serve you, please contact either Dean Hoke or Dr. Senthil Nathan.