About Us

Greeting from the Chairperson

YANG DANNI

I am YANG DANNI, and I am honored to have been appointed as the President of the Kyoto University Graduate School of Management Alumni Association at the 2024 Annual General Meeting. The Alumni Association has long played a key role in fostering deeper connections between alumni and our alma mater through a valuable network built by our predecessors. It is my mission to carry forward this legacy and work towards further revitalizing our association. In particular, I will focus on increasing alumni participation, establishing a sustainable financial foundation, and strengthening ties with faculty members.

1. Increasing Alumni Participation and Expanding the International Network
First of all, it is crucial to increase the number of alumni participating in order to reinvigorate the activities of the Alumni Association. We will establish a system where current students can join as special members, allowing them to stay engaged with the association after graduation. By regularly organizing events focused on career support and entrepreneurship, we aim to offer practical activities that encourage alumni to participate more actively. We will also strengthen regional networks through events in areas such as Tokyo and Nagoya.
Additionally, we will prioritize the expansion of our international network, creating more opportunities for international alumni and those working abroad to participate. By enhancing online events and international exchange programs, we aim to build a more inclusive environment where diverse alumni, both in Japan and abroad, can easily connect.

2. Establishing a Sustainable Financial Foundation
For the long-term development of the Alumni Association, it is essential to build a sustainable financial base. We will seek contributions and corporate sponsorships, to generate advertising revenue through corporate presentations and events, thereby securing the necessary funds to enhance the association’s activities.

3. Promoting Faculty Participation and Sharing Knowledge
We will establish a system that encourages participation of current and retired faculty members in alumni association activities. By providing opportunities for them to share their wealth of knowledge and experience with alumni, we will create opportunities for alumni to deepen their learning and strengthen their relationships with faculty members through lectures and idea exchanges.
Moreover, we will leverage the academic and social networks of faculty members to foster collaboration between the Alumni Association and external organizations. By receiving feedback from faculty on our activities, we will improve the quality of our initiatives and offer even more valuable programs.

Together with the board members, I will work tirelessly to provide a network that brings value to all alumni and ensure the sustainable development of our association.

September 2024

Greeting from the Dean, Graduate School of Management

Prof. Norio SAWABE　Dean of GSM (April 1, 2022)

The Graduate School of Management (GSM), Kyoto University was established in April, 2006 in Kyoto. Based on the Kyoto University’s historical commitment to academic freedom, GSM aims at contributing to the diverse and harmonious development of global society by conducting management research with high ethical standards and by developing an educational system that bridges cutting-edge research and specialized practice and educates highly distinctive professionals who take leadership in a wide range of fields.

In order to fulfill above mentioned mission, GSM provides MBA programs in Japanese, MBA programs in English, double degree programs with National Taiwan University and University of Hamburg, and Kyoto-Cornell International Collaborative Degree Opportunity. GSM also provides PhD course for individuals with advanced practical experience in companies and other organizations. Our PhD course aims to cultivate global leaders who actively bridges practice and academic research.

Our faculty members have a wide variety of academic disciplinary backgrounds such as economics, engineering, management science, accounting, informatics, and so on. About 150 faculty members, of which about 40 are full-time, collaborate together to advance research and education to cope with challenges that our society faces now. Activities of the Center for Research in Business Administration, endowed chairs, endowed lectures, collaborative research chairs, visiting lectures, executive education program, extension course, and consortium illustrate our latest research and education in collaboration with business enterprises and NPO/NGOs.

Our name the Graduate School of MANAGEMENT manifests our ambition to nurture management leaders, and to conduct management research, beyond business sphere. The role of management leaders is to make decisions in uncertain world and take responsibility to make the decision right in the end. A management guru, who considers himself as a social ecologist, after examining the origin of totalitarianism, stated that freedom is a responsible choice. In this turbulent era, management leaders who bear responsibility to make “right” decisions are needed in every corner of the world. We welcome, regardless of race, gender, and nationality, students who are committed to make a better world by educating themselves and improving our knowledge through scientific endeavor.

Directors

Academic Year 2024 (The General Meeting, August 24, 2024)

Chairperson
YANG DANNI (the 16th graduate)
Deputy Chairperson
Tadanori UMEKAWA (the 4th graduate)
Directors (Faculty)
Norio SAWABE (Dean), Naoki WAKABAYASHI, Tomoki SEKIGUCHI
Directors (Graduates)
Hiroshi KUBO (the 1st graduate), Mie YAMAZAKI (the 2nd graduate),
Mitsuru OHMORI (the 3rd graduate), Tadanori UMEKAWA (the 4th graduate),
Satoru OGA (the 6th graduate), (the 14th graduate),Ani TERADA (the 6th graduate),
Hiroyoshi FUJIWARA (the 7th graduate), Kazu HORIUCHI (the 7th graduate),
Shohei HUNATSU (the 7th graduate), Takaaki NISHIIRI (the 8th graduate),
Hiroki EIRAKU (the 9th graduate), Masayoshi TAKABAYASHI (the 10th graduate),
Takayuki OMORI (the 11th graduate), Kanako AKAGI (the 12th graduate),
Mizuha MARUMOTO (the 13th graduate), Masato SAKAI (the 14th graduate),
Konomi YOSHIZUMI (the 15th graduate), YANG DANNI (the 16th graduate),
Hidenori SHIMADA (the 16th graduate), Yumi INADA (the 16th graduate)

Kyoto University Graduate School of Management Alumni Association Operating Regulations

Enacted March 13, 2008

Revised October 27, 2018

Revised November 4, 2023

Revised October 4, 2025

Article 1 (Name)
The name of this Association shall be as follows: Kyoto University Graduate School of Management Alumni Association

Article 2 (Location)
This Association shall be located at the following address: Within the Kyoto University Graduate School of Management, Yoshida Hon-machi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto City, 606-8501

Article 3 (Purpose of the Association)
This Association shall provide the following as a platform to support and promote its members-individuals cultivated through an educational system bridging cutting-edge management research and highly specialized practice-in fulfilling leadership roles across diverse fields in accordance with the alma mater’s philosophy, thereby contributing to the varied and harmonious development of global society.

  1. A venue for collaboration with the alma mater
  2. A venue for industry-academia collaboration where practitioners learn about cutting-edge research and researchers know about the front lines of practice
  3. A venue for vertical collaboration across generations and horizontal collaboration among peers
  4. A venue for collaboration with individuals playing leading roles across diverse fields
  5. A venue for collaboration with individuals contributing to the diverse and harmonious development of global society

Article 4 (Membership Categories)
The Association shall have the following three categories of members:

  1. (1) Regular Members: Graduates of the Graduate School of Management, Kyoto University
  2. (2) Faculty Members: Faculty members of the Graduate School of Management, Kyoto University, and retired faculty members who wish to join
  3. (3) Student Members: Current students of the Graduate School of Management, Kyoto University
  4. Others may be admitted as members when approved by all officers of the Association.

Article 5 (Membership Fees)
Members shall pay the membership fee determined at the General Meeting upon joining. However, membership remains valid even if dues remain unpaid, and no specific payment deadline shall be set.

Article 6 (Resignation)
Members wishing to resign from the Association shall notify the Association’s officers of their intention to resign using the prescribed form.

2. A member may be expelled or have their membership revoked if they fall under any of the following items. However, item (3) requires approval by the Board of Directors.

  1. (1) Upon the death of the member
  2. (2) When a student member withdraws, is expelled, or leaves the institution
  3. (3) When the member damages the honor or credibility of the Association, or engages in conduct that disrupts its order

Article 7 (Officers)
The Association shall have the following officers: One President, several Vice Presidents, several Directors, and one Auditor. The term of office for officers shall be two years, commencing on April 1 and ending on March 31 of the following year. Reappointment is permitted (with a recommended limit of two terms for the President and Vice Presidents). The President shall represent the Association and oversee its affairs. Vice Presidents shall assist the President and act as a proxy in the President’s absence. The President, Vice Presidents, Directors, and Auditor shall constitute the Board of Directors. The directors may elect from among themselves a certain number of directors to serve as executive directors. The executive directors shall handle the day-to-day affairs of the Association. The auditors shall audit the Association’s accounts.

Article 8 (Operation)
The Board of Directors shall deliberate on essential matters related to the Association’s operations and decide on operational plans. For significant issues, the operational plan shall be submitted to the General Meeting for consultation. The Association may establish branches as necessary. Secretaries may be appointed for age-based, company-based, etc., groups, with the Secretary Committee serving as the primary liaison organization. The Chairman may convene the Board of Directors and the Secretary Committee at any time deemed necessary. The Association shall hold an Annual General Meeting once a year. However, the Chairman may convene an Extraordinary General Meeting when deemed necessary. The following matters must be submitted to the General Meeting. Decisions at the General Meeting shall be made by majority vote of those present.

  1. Election of officers
  2. Establishment and amendment of bylaws
  3. Approval of budgets and settlement of accounts
  4. Determination of membership fees and collection methods
  5. Other significant matters

Article 9 (Bylaw Amendments)
When amendments to the bylaws are necessary for the operation of the Association, they shall be determined through discussion among the members.

Article 10 (Expenses)
The expenses of the Association shall be covered by membership fees paid upon joining, donations, and other income.

Article 11 (Fiscal Year)
The fiscal year of this Association shall begin on April 1 of each year and end on March 31 of the following year.

Article 12 (Financial Settlement)
Documents concerning the financial settlement of this Association shall be prepared promptly by the President upon the end of each fiscal year and audited by the Auditor. A resolution of the General Meeting must approve them.

Article 13
The handling of personal information by this Association shall comply with the Kyoto University Privacy Policy.