ICEF Academy and Navi Japan, powered by Acumen, have launched the Japan Education Agent Course (JEAC), a new certification designed to help education agents and counsellors build practical expertise in Japan’s rapidly growing international education sector.
Japan’s international student population surpassed 400,000 in 2025. However, theintake remains heavily concentrated, with nearly 80% of international students comingfrom just five countries: China, Nepal, Vietnam, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. As Japan looks to broaden its reach beyond these core markets, education agents have an important role to play in connecting Japanese institutions with growing student interest across a wider range of source markets.
This momentum is particularly visible across India and South Asia, where demand for reliable guidance on Japanese higher education is growing. Navi Japan, the Study in Japan App, has already recorded more than 35,000 downloads. Developed as a Government of Japan (MEXT)-backed project with the University of Tokyo, it provides the official institutional information and trusted guidance students and counsellors need.
Despite this growth, a significant knowledge and access gap remains. ICEF’s recent Global Agency Perspectives on Japan Survey found that nearly 88% of surveyed agencies have no formal partnerships with Japanese institutions, with language barriers and limited access to practical recruitment information among the challenges cited. At the same time, agency interest in working with Japanese institutions is exceptionally high, averaging 4.41 out of 5 among survey respondents. JEAC was created to help bridge that gap and give agents the practical knowledge and confidence to turn this interest into meaningful engagement with Japanese institutions.
“Japan is no longer a niche study destination; it is an increasingly important part of the global international education landscape,” said Martijn van de Veen, Chief Business Development Officer at ICEF. “This course helps agents provide more informed guidance, while giving Japanese universities greater confidence that their programmes are represented accurately and professionally.”
“Across India and South Asia, we’re seeing a real and consistent shift in student interest toward Japan,” said Sagar Bahadur, Executive Director – Asia & Head of Regional Strategy, Acumen. “That growth must be matched by credible guidance and a deeper understanding of Japanese higher education. JEAC is an important step toward a global network of informed professionals who can represent Japanese higher education with confidence.”
JEAC provides counsellors with practical knowledge of the Japanese educationsystem and the market context they need to advise prospective students effectively. The self-paced course is free to study, with an optional, paid certification exam for those who wish to validate their learning.
Counsellors who successfully undertake the certification exam receive six CPD points (accredited by the CPDSO), a certificate, a digital badge and a listing on ICEF Academy’s public graduate directory. Find out more about the Japan Education Agent Course (JEAC) here.
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