Leo from Taiwan, left, and Ikuko from Japan walk together on the campus of Harrow International School Appi Japan in Hachimantai, Iwate prefecture. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
AKITO TANAKA
October 16, 2026 13:33 JST
Hello from Tokyo. I was fortunate enough to grow up as the Cold War was ending and globalization was accelerating at an extraordinary pace. In the late 1980s, due to my father's job, I attended an international school in Lisbon, Portugal. In the late 1990s, I studied at a university in the United States.
Today, unfortunately, as geopolitical fragmentation deepens and governments around the world adopt more inward-looking policies, studying overseas has become increasingly difficult. Applying for a visa has become harder, especially for study in the U.S. Stronger Western currencies and concerns about social unrest have also made studying abroad less accessible, particularly for students from Asia.
Against this backdrop, a new trend is emerging. More Western educational institutions are expanding into Asia. In Japan, elite British schools such as Harrow School have opened affiliated campuses in recent years. These international schools attract not only Japanese students but also students from China as well as other parts of Asia. According to a Nikkei Asia report, British schools are increasingly choosing Japan because it's accessible from across the region and has a strong reputation for safety. Some experts are suggesting that Japan could even become Asia's educational hub.
This shift to Asia also reflects the global ambitions of the institutions. Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet has opened a campus in India, and Australia's Monash University has announced plans to invest $660 million in a new campus in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia already hosts branch campuses operated by universities from the U.K., China and Japan. Singapore is also home to many international schools and overseas university campuses.
These efforts by educational institutions to bridge a divided world through expansion across Asia are a positive trend. Many schools and universities also recognize that staying confined to their home countries may no longer be a viable long-term business model, especially in the current world order. At the same time, many regional cities across Japan, where demographic decline and aging populations are particularly severe, are working to attract such institutions.
Building cross-border friendships and developing global outlooks in people at a young age should help create a more stable geopolitical future. I truly hope the next generation educated on these campuses across Asia can become the talent that narrows the divisions we all suffer from today.
My suggested reads
1. In Malaysia and other Southeast Asian nations, steady consumption of Chinese movies and streamed video series is reinforcing an image of a China that is fashionable, dynamic and worthy of emulation. Our reporter in Kuala Lumpur explains how this growing trend is adding a new wrinkle to the complex, multifaceted relationship between the world's second-biggest economy and Southeast Asia, potentially bolstering alignment with Beijing on policy issues while also adding to risks of social fragmentation.
2. In Japan and Australia, young singles and working couples are turning to new types of rental apartments, such as co-living and build-to-rent, to address multiple challenges: rising home prices and interest rates, long commutes, and the need to save for the future. Developers and investors are eager to capture the trend, but they too face challenges, including high construction costs and a shortage of available sites.
3. Climate-related startups in Singapore have attracted $1.3 billion in funding since 2020, about four times more than the rest of Southeast Asia combined. Many are working in tandem with the government and state agencies as the nation pursues its ambition to become a leading green economy. As ASEAN Money explores, the drive is also attracting startups to be based in the city-state, pulling in companies from both the region and much further afield.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
Akito Tanaka
Sign up for the weekly Editor-in-chief's picks newsletter here