Japan is preparing to ax the Global 30 program, a cornerstone of its strategy to internationalize higher education. The government’s Budget Review Committee, which is trying to slash costs in a bid to trim the country’s runaway public debt, voted this week to abolish and “restructure” the project. Started last year with a budget of roughly $38-million, the project envisioned supporting a group of “core” universities to “dramatically” increase the number of international students in Japan and Japanese students studying abroad, according to the Ministry of Education. However, the program has gotten off to a slow start. The ministry’s strict selection process meant that just 13 elite universities made the initial grade. And government cuts have already shaved up to 30 percent from the budget allocated to each institution for the program. The decision has been greeted with dismay by administrators and academics. “This government is destroying Japan,” said Go Yoshida, a professor with the Office of International Strategic Planning at Nagoya University, which is one of the 13 selected universities.