Yu Matsuura and Dana Zhang, MBA students from the Class of 2024, reflect on their visit to Tokai Spring, a specialized spring manufacturer in Hyogo Prefecture. As part of their Japan Business and Economy course at Hitotsubashi ICS, they explored how strategy, craftsmanship, and culture intersect in Japanese SMEs. Through a factory tour, hands-on experience, and conversation with the company president, they gained fresh insights into the value of focus, trust, and “not competing” as a strategic choice.

Aly Valdemoro, an ICS alumna from the MBA Class of 2022, shares her insights and experience about the course Doing Business in Asia (DBiA) 2023 for her kouhais (juniors). She was a recipient of the Young Leaders' Program. 

K.C. Wang and Qianyi Ye, two MBA Program students from the Class of 2022, share their immersive internship experience in this exclusive edition of Byline ICS. Hosted by Hitotsubashi ICS and the Ajinomoto Foundation, this internship program provided a platform for them to showcase how they effectively applied their MBA knowledge and professional expertise.

Pari joined the Hitotsubashi ICS MBA Class of 2022 as a Young Leaders Program (YLP) scholar, bringing with her an unwavering entrepreneurial spirit and a wealth of diverse industry experiences. Her passion for sustainability and her drive to make a positive impact on the world set her apart as an exceptional addition to the program.

Angela joined the ICS 2-year MBA program in 2022, bringing with her diverse industry experiences ranging from AI, high tech, life science, and semiconductor sectors. Drawing from her professional tenure mostly in Silicon Valley, she offers valuable insights into human capital practices and organization effectiveness. After earning her master’s degree in human resources management from Michigan State University, she joined Fortune 100 companies, honing hands-on skills and gaining invaluable field experiences.

As a Teaching Assistant for the course, Kuo Jian Wong offers unique insights. A recent graduate of Hitotsubashi ICS's MBA Class of 2021, he completed his 2-year MBA program in August 2023. Jian provides a glimpse into this newly endowed course, which was jointly run by Hitotsubashi ICS and INPEX Corporation. 

During the thrilling conclusion of Fireside Chat 1, we had the incredible opportunity to unite aspiring MBA applicants with ICS alumni from different class years. Participants engaged in lively dialogues, discussing various aspects of the ICS culture, the student experience, and the MBA journey. Alumni panelists also shared valuable insights into how their post-ICS MBA experiences have contributed to their current successes in life.

Recently graduated, Louise Lane Calicdan, a Young Leaders Program (YLP) scholar from the MBA Class of 2022, shares her remarkable experience undertaking Doing Business in Asia (DBiA). The program was annually run by Hitotsubashi ICS, Guanghua School of Management at Peking University, and the Graduate School of Business at Seoul National University. Hailing from an arts and cultural background, she approaches DBiA from an interesting perspective. 

During our recent online Open campus event, we had the pleasure of introducing participants to the vibrant culture of Hitotsubashi ICS, as well as providing insights into our MBA program and the unique offerings of our institution. One of the highlights was the opportunity for participants to delve into the world of Japanese Business and Economy (JBE), a signature course that forms an integral part of our MBA curriculum.

Qianyi Ye, a 2-year MBA Program student from the Class of 2022, shares her recent internship experience in this edition of Byline ICS. The internship program was jointly run by Hitotsubashi ICS and the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST). In the article, she discusses how she leveraged both her current MBA learnings and her professional experience.

In light of the ever increasing importance of lifelong learning in the age of the "100-year life", Professor Yoshi Fujikawa's Zemi set "The Future of Learning" as the theme of this year's zemi activity and are launching the speaker series to explore where the learning is heading, together with experts invited from around the world.

Finding a career during the pandemic 

Whilst the average employment rate in Japan for international students who graduate from university is about 40%, the rate for ICS MBA graduates (self-financed students who wish to work in Japan) for 2021 is much higher, at 85%.*

In this Byline ICS piece, we interviewed Viola, a current MBA student, who shared her job hunting journey in Japan.