News & Events

Meiji Business School (Graduate School of Global Business, MBS) held "International Week" (Prof. YAMAGUCHI Fujio) in collaboration with AESE Business School in Portugal. "International Week" is a kind of courses called 'Global Business Studies' at MBS, which is designed to cultivate an international outlook in students. Even if people do business in Japan, it is essential to have an international perspective in the ever-expanding international business world, and as a business school we believe it is extremely important to develop a curriculum that fosters such a perspective. Despite the interruption caused by the covid-19, three to four courses are held each year in various countries, mainly in Asia, with many students participating.

Following the acquisition of international accreditation, EPAS (now EFMD Accredited), in 2018, a memorandum of understanding was concluded with AESE Business School, a prestigious business school in Portugal, in July 2020 deciding to implement mutual student exchange programmes (International Week). In FY2022, MBS students were sent to AESE Business School in Portugal in September and AESE Business School students were accepted and trained at Meiji University in October.

<International Week at AESE, Portugal>
September 7 (Wed.) - 10 (Fri.), 2022
On 6 August, Prof. WAKAYAMA Toshihiro gave a class using the case method as part of the pre-departure study before the trip. The case method is a teaching method that simulates the experience of corporate management through discussions among students about decision-making and concrete solutions to management-level issues that arised in actual companies. The students learnt how to think about cases in advance.
From 7 September, nine students from MBS were sent to AESE Business School, Portugal, for active discussions through the school's Excelling in Leadership Executive MBA Intensive Week Programme. Other participants included 17 from Danube University in Austria, seven from Krakow Business School in Poland and 42 students from AESE Business School. The 75 participants were divided into 10 teams.
[DAY1]
The first day started with an address by the Dean of AESE Business School and greetings from the programme faculty of the participating business schools, followed by a study of Design Thinking (DT) by Prof. Joaquim Vilà, who explained how DT is based on ideas and how it can be applied in a company that has excelled in the application of DT. The learning was based on a project carried out by IDEO, a company of excellence in the application of DT. The students then learnt how IDEO developed its design process using the case of Cineplanet, a major Peruvian film chain. The lecture ended at 7pm.
[DAY2]
The morning was a continuation of the previous day's DT learning, with ample discussion on the SAP case; after an hour and 15 minutes for lunch, the afternoon was spent learning about the next topic, Global Leadership, also from Prof. Sebastian Reiche at IESE Business School. Using the case of a Korean company, he explained that internationalisation has created a multicultural environment in companies, which has created unprecedented problems in managing people within the organisation. The participants learnt how to effectively manage the international division of labour.
[DAY3]
In the morning, students learn about global leadership from the previous day. The case study of Haier in Japan was chosen, because it was a Japanese case study. In the afternoon, Prof. Pedro Videla, also a professor at IESE Business School, gave a study of global trends from the perspective of macroeconomics and economic history. First, the students learnt about trends in the global economy, using a wealth of statistics and graphs spanning more than 70 years.
After the lecture at 8pm, a dinner party was held to get to know each other better.
[DAY4]
Continuing from the previous day, the case study was conducted by Prof. Pedro Videla. The roles of business strategists, organisational leaders and corporate CEOs were discussed within the context of the global trends learnt on the previous day. The current business environment is constantly being challenged by new challenges, such as the globalisation of business and the emergence of new business models that disrupt existing business practices. They discussed how companies should address the challenge of creating economic value in an environmentally sustainable and socially responsible manner.
The programme concluded with a speech by the AESE programme director, who presented the participants with a certificate of completion.

＜International Week at Meiji, Tokyo>
Monday, October 31 - Friday, November 4, 2022
Twenty-seven students from AESE Business School were hosted by MBS for the programme. Under the theme of 'Japanese-style management and understanding of Japanese culture', the programme included lectures by the Portuguese Ambassador, a visit to Kanda Myojin Shrine, company visits and a wide range of other classes, as well as inviting many faculty members from other faculties of the University.
[DAY1]
The day started with opening remarks from the programme directors from both business schools, and the first programme featured a lecture on 'Manga, Anime, Games and the City of Tokyo' by Associate Professor MORIKAWA Kaichiro from the School of Global Japanese Studies at Meiji University. There was discussion on Japanese manga and anime culture and the evolution of social understanding of 'otaku'.
The next programme featured a keynote speech by the Portuguese Ambassador to Japan, Mr Vítor Sereno. He spoke about the state of cooperation for economic development between Japan and Portugal.
Afterwards, the participants moved to Kanda Myojin to experience Japanese culture through an understanding of Shinto.
[DAY2]
The day started with a lecture on the history and challenges faced by global companies in their international expansion under the theme of 'The Japanese Style Management and Innovation' by SUZUKI Nisato, Senior Assistant Professor of School of Commerce, Meiji University, followed by a comparison of Japanese and Portuguese railways, with Keio Corporation invited as a lecturer, and a lecture on their history. The lecture was followed by a comparison of Japanese and Portuguese railways and a lecture on their history by Keio Railways. Afterwards, the participants experienced actual travel by Keio Line and observed Keio Railways' initiatives at Shimo-Kitazawa Station on the Keio Line and the status of the station building development.
[DAY3]
The day started with a lecture on 'The Rise and Fall of the IT Industry in Japan' by Mr Katsuei Aoyagi, a former member of the University's Board of Trustees. Mr Aoyagi spoke about his experiences in the IT industry and business overseas. He also welcomed Mori Building as a lecturer and gave a perspective on urban development in the metropolis of Tokyo, as well as field studies at Toranomon Hills and Urban Labs.
[DAY4]
A case method lecture on 'Introduction to Japanese Family Business' by MBS Professor Woo-Xu Hsu and a simulation on 'Japanese Business from the Perspective of the Capital Market' by concurrent MBS lecturer Yuko Numata. MBS concurrent lecturer Yuko Numata gave a lecture using a simulation game on the theme of 'Japanese Business from the Perspective of the Capital Market'.
[DAY5]
With the cooperation of Konica Minolta, the students visited the company's Hachioji plant and observed the current state of manufacturing and research and development in Japan. After returning to the university, the programme was completed with a lecture by Sony and certificates were issued to those who completed the course.

From next year onwards, we will continue to provide many opportunities to experience the forefront of overseas business and deepen our partnerships with leading overseas business schools, with the aim of further internationalising the programme.