Unlike Japan, the United States is quite literally a society that places great emphasis on academic credentials.
Hence, without a master's or doctoral degree, it's difficult to earn a substantial income.
As a result, Americans tend to acquire multiple degrees from different institutions, leading to less attachment to any one alma mater.
In the US, degrees hold paramount importance.
Professor Claudia Goldin of Harvard University has become the third woman to win the Nobel Prize in Economics.
In the news, I learned that she is an alumna of Cornell University, where I also graduated.
Cornell has produced an impressive number of Nobel laureates, spanning various fields, cementing its reputation.
However, Professor Goldin pursued her master's and doctoral degrees at the University of Chicago after graduating from Cornell.
In the United States, universities serve as mere stepping stones to the next phase of life, unlike in Japan, where a bachelor's degree alone doesn't guarantee lifelong stability.
This leads to a relentless and competitive academic environment, akin to an endless race for credentials.
In comparison, Japan's focus on education typically extends only to undergraduate degrees.
The society doesn't engage in the same level of intense academic competition as the US, resulting in a less competitive environment centered around undergraduate education.
It's crucial to realize the reality in Japan where relying solely on academic credentials for lifelong security is untenable.
Simply graduating from a top university and securing a job in a leading company might not lead to perpetual success, given the fiercely competitive nature of climbing the corporate ladder.
The majority of Japanese universities serve as educational institutions for undergraduate studies, which leads to a stronger attachment to alma maters.
Private universities, in particular, resemble more of employment preparatory schools or hobby clubs rather than research institutions, with only a few national universities truly excelling in research.
While there are also mediocre universities in the US, the sheer number of research-oriented institutions surpasses Japan by a significant margin, contributing to the disparity in the number of Nobel laureates.
Compared to the US, Japan's society still remains far from being a "bachelor-dominated" academic society.
If Japan continues its decline, the luxury of clinging to one's alma mater might vanish.
Graduation certificates from Japanese universities might even become insignificant in the face of such decline.
Unlike Japan, the United States is a genuine academic society where one cannot earn without a master's or doctoral degree.
Hence, except for those who give up on further education due to poor undergraduate performance, most people pursue graduate education in the US.
Consequently, they end up holding multiple degrees from various institutions, which reduces their attachment to any one alma mater.
Moreover, given the intense competition in the world's leading economic powerhouse, many might not even have the luxury of being attached to their alma mater.
For Americans, commencement ceremonies are literally seen as the start of their lives.
As a result, individuals like the founders of Apple, Facebook, and Microsoft, who found their life goals at a young age, embarked on their life journeys without waiting for their university graduations and have achieved great success.
Even in the academically-driven US society, individuals with talent and clear life goals can succeed without solely relying on academic credentials.
Perhaps, it is these differences in mindset between Americans and Japanese that truly define what America is.
