Universities are to conduct self-inspection and self-evaluation of the state of education and research, organizations and management, and facilities and equipment (referred to as "educational research, etc." in the following paragraph and paragraph (5)), and publicize the results in order to contribute to the improvement of standards of their education and research, as provided for by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
Universities are to receive evaluations (referred to below as "certified evaluation") by persons that have received certification from the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (referred to below as "certified evaluation agency"), regarding the comprehensive state of educational research, etc. in the relevant universities, in addition to the measures referred to in the preceding paragraph, in each period prescribed by Cabinet Order; provided, however, that this does not apply if a certified evaluation agency does not exist, or there are other special reasons, and measures prescribed by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology are being taken.
For professional and vocational universities and universities with professional graduate schools, in light of the purposes of establishment of the relevant professional and vocational universities and professional graduate schools, the state of curricula, teacher organizations, and other education and research activities in the relevant professional and vocational universities and professional graduate schools are to receive certified evaluation in each period prescribed by Cabinet Order, beyond what is provided for in the preceding paragraph; provided, however, that this does not apply if a certified evaluation agency conducting certified evaluations in fields relating to courses in the relevant professional and vocational universities and professional graduate schools does not exist, or there are other special reasons, and measures prescribed by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology are being taken.
The certified evaluation in the preceding two paragraphs is to be conducted in accordance with the university evaluation standard, (meaning the standards specified by the certified evaluation agency in order to conduct the certified evaluation in the preceding two paragraphs; the same applies below in this article and the following article) upon request from universities.
For the certified evaluations in paragraph (2) and paragraph (3), certifications are to be conducted for whether or not the state of education and research (this refers to the comprehensive state of education and research, etc. in the universities under the provisions in paragraph (2) and the state of curricula, teacher organizations, and other education and research activities in professional and vocational universities and professional graduate schools pursuant to the provisions in paragraph (3). The same applies in the following paragraph and paragraph (7)) subject to the respective certified evaluations are compliant with the university evaluation standard.
Universities must work towards improving the education and research standards, in order to receive the certification of the certified evaluation agency (referred to in the next paragraph as "compliance certification") expressing that the state of education and research, etc. is compliant with the university evaluation standards.
When universities cannot receive compliance certification for the state of education and research etc., the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is to request that the relevant universities submit a report or documents regarding the state of education and research, etc. in the relevant universities.
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