are primarily vocational colleges sponsored by private entities. Private universities usually cannot award bachelor's degrees. Public universities tend to enjoy a higher reputation domestically and globally. Hong Kong The University Grants Committee funds eight higher education institutions in Hong Kong. The Academy for Performing Arts also receives funding from the government. The Open University of Hong Kong is a public university, but it is largely self-financed. The Shue Yan University is the only private institution with the status of a university; however, it also receives some financial support from the government. India In India, most universities and nearly all research institutions are public. Some private undergraduate colleges exist but most are engineering schools that are affiliated with public universities. Private schools can be partially aided by the national or state governments. India also has an "open" public university, the Indira Gandhi National Open University which offers distance education. In terms of the number of enrolled students, is now the largest university in the world with over four million students. Indonesia In Indonesia, the government supports public universities in each province. Funding comes through the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology and the provincial and municipal governments. Iran Some of the public universities in Iran offer tuition-free and tuition-based programs. State-run universities are highly selective and competitive. Israel There are nine official universities in Israel, a few dozen colleges, and about a dozen foreign university extensions. The Council for Higher Education in Israel supervises all of these institutions academically. Only a university, not a college, can issue doctorate degrees in Israel. Japan In Japan, public universities are run by local governments, either prefectural or municipal. According to the Ministry of Education, public universities have "provided an opportunity for higher education in a region and served the central role of intellectual and cultural base for the local community in the region" and are "expected to contribute to social, economical and cultural development in the region". This contrasts with the research-oriented aspects of national universities. In 2010, 127,872 students were attending 95 public universities, compared to 86 national universities and 597 private universities in Japan. Many public universities are relatively new; in 1980, there were only 34 public universities in Japan. Since July 2003, public universities may incorporate under the Local Independent Administrative Institutions Law. Kyrgyzstan Manas University in Kyrgyzstan is a public higher education institution that offers associate degrees, undergraduate degrees,