Konomi Yoshizumi (November 23, 2022)

At the 2022 general meeting of the Kyoto University Graduate School of Management （GSM） Alumni Association, I, Konomi Yoshizumi, was elected as the chairperson. Since its establishment, the Alumni Association has made efforts to develop both itself, and our school. The previous chairperson, Mr. Omori, has made great efforts to organize events and disseminate information mainly online, despite the significant limitation of activities due to the Covid-19. In my two-year term, building on these accomplishments, I will focus primarily on the following three initiatives:

1. Promoting exchange between alumni and current students
Following the lead of previous chairperson Mr. Omori, we will continue to hold the “Get Together Party,” a social event to promote interaction between alumni and current students.
We will also create opportunities for face-to-face interaction, which has been difficult with the Covid-19. In addition, we will continue to hold online social events to interact with alumni who are active in various regions.

2. Providing opportunities for alumni to experience the academic world
In today’s rapidly changing business environment, I feel it is more important to continue to move back and forth between business and academia.
Therefore, in addition to sharing knowledge through the alumni network, we will provide opportunities for alumni to come into contact with the academic world through collaboration with professors of GSM.

3. Cooperation with International Alumni of GSM
Our diverse alumni are at the leading edge of their professions in various regions at home and abroad. We will strengthen our alumni association into a more diverse and attractive organization by enhancing interaction and collaboration with International Alumni of GSM.

Together with the Alumni Association board members, we will do our best to enhance the attractiveness of the Kyoto University 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 five MBA programs in Japanese, two MBA programs in English, 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. More than 120 faculty members 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, and introductory program illustrates 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 bears 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 2022 (The General Meeting, November 23, 2022)