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

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.

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