Takafumi Kikuchi
Japan
Panasonic Corporation
MBA Class of 2009

With intensified global competition, I realize that management ability with an international perspective is absolutely imperative. I believe that IUJ is the best business school for those who want to acquire international management skills. IUJ’s attractiveness can be summarized as follows: Firstly, IUJ offers a very comprehensive MBA program focusing on real business practices in the global market, where an outstanding faculty teaches us essential knowledge for global business leaders. In addition, class discussion and group projects are very exciting. Since IUJ is composed of excellent students with a variety of backgrounds from 50 countries, sharing innovative viewpoints that reflect their own cultures allows me to deepen my knowledge and expand my horizons. Moreover, the Research PLATFORM provides us with a deep insight into global business practices, where I am conducting research of the global strategy of my company. Through this research activity, I am learning the essentials of global strategy in several frameworks, and acquiring the practical skills global strategists need. In future, I’d like to become a country manager in the Asia Pacific, so I strongly believe that these experiences and the knowledge acquired at IUJ would be great advantages and competencies.

Vijay A Raju
India
Venture Leader
Innosight Ventures
MBA Class of 2008

I work as a Venture Leader at Innosight Ventures, a venture capital firm founded by Harvard Business School Professor Clayton Christensen. My role involves incubating and building new ventures that fit the disruptive innovation framework. I have built two ventures in the last 1 year, one of which has been funded by a major FMCG corporation.

I came to IUJ wanting to switch careers but was confused in finding the right fit for me. I struggled in the first year but the turning point came through a summer internship with Sony and the "Innovation & New Business Development" course in the second year fall. I realized that I liked Strategic Management more than any of my other courses. I used the library to the maximum and read between 100 -125 books during my 2 years. I am actually doing what I like and I have to thank IUJ for providing me the right environment to learn, fail and grow.

My future plan is to setup a Venture Capital fund and focus on businesses in the media, education and energy sector. I am always fond of the tag "World No.1". I want to create one company that gets me that tag.

There are few things that I would advise future applicants.

1. Don't choose a career because your classmates are choosing it or because it is paying lot of money. Choose a career where you can work forever and enjoy yourself. Money will follow once you gain respect in a field. You need to do lot of reflection to identify the right career for you.
2. Use the library as much as you can. The IUJ Library has a very good collection of books ranging from Strategy to Innovation to Marketing to Self help. Reading text books only won’t help.
3. Contribute in the class discussions and be open to alternative view points in the group discussions. It will help to explore alternative options during decision making.
4. School cannot help to get you a job. It can only provide the platform. You have to work hard and network hard to get a job.
5. The MBA is not just about GPA, intelligence and grades. It is about the overall personality. If you want to be a good business manager, you have to have good communication skills, listening skills, analytical skills, interpersonal skills and negotiation skills. Intelligence is only one component. So focus on developing an all-round personality during your time at school.

Takuya Kuwabara
Japan
Risk Management & Product Control
Mizuho International plc
MBA Class of 1999

I am currently working in London at the Investment Banking subsidiary of a Japanese financial group. This city can be described as an “innovative financial center”, with a “global perspective”, and a “multicultural working environment”. These characteristics are directly related to what I learned at IUJ 10 years ago.

“Innovative financial center” -- At IUJ, I took various Finance courses such as Investments, Corporate Finance, and Derivatives, as well as Accounting and Management courses. All of this theory became indispensable to me for my work at the bank. Without this fundamental knowledge, it would have been difficult for me to understand state-of-the-art financial products.

The actual business issues we face are not always as simple as theory. The practical skills and insights to interpret disordered business situations are required. I have learned these skills and insights through various case studies in classes, group projects, and guest speakers from the real business world.

“Global perspective” does not necessarily mean a single and common perspective. It could be a dynamic process to change your viewpoint from one viewpoint to another. The typical way of thinking I acquired at IUJ was to compare a US-type model against a Japanese one. I also imagined how my classmates from Asian countries such as China and India would think about the topics.

“Multicultural working environment” – Because the staff in the office are hired mainly based on skills and experience for specific jobs, the working environment in the office is multicultural. This environment is what I experienced at IUJ where I learned various cultures from classmates coming from all over the world.

As such, I believe that the learning experience of 2 years at IUJ developed a solid foundation for my work in London now.

Takayuki Asai
Japan
Deputy Director
Network Planning
All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd.
MBA Class of 1998

Ten years have passed, but my IUJ skills and knowledge are still very fresh.

More than 10 years have passed since I graduated from IUJ, and now I realize how important my IUJ experience is for me. My classmates are my best friends; faculty members are my best advisors. The materials I used in class are still my bibles. Every single part of my experience from IUJ life is my treasure. I can’t express how much they help me establish my way of life and business.

An MBA was always in my mind. Before joining IUJ, it was just a dream; it would be nice to have, but I couldn’t recognize it as real. I simply thought, “An MBA is just too difficult for me.” Once jumping into it, I enjoyed both studying and creating a human network so much. And again, these experience and knowledge I learned help me all the time during my business and private life. After my graduation, my first assignment was international marketing. Marketing skills and Managerial Communication skills from my classes helped me deal with my business partners. My second assignment was fuel price risk management. Skills from Finance and Derivatives classes were so useful in doing risk management and talking with my counter parties from derivative houses. My human network is very powerful. I have been able to learn even more through communication with that network during and after my IUJ life. They are experts in so many different industries that I learn different aspects of business through their advice.

If you want to learn these skills and to find lifetime friends, IUJ is your best choice. Don’t miss this chance and come on into our IUJ society!

Norio Imai
Japan
Vertical Marketing Manager
Google Japan Inc.
E-Biz Class of 2004

IUJ’s E-Business Management Program gave me an opportunity to learn not only business and IT related subjects but also how to communicate with people from various countries and with various cultures and backgrounds. Such a precious opportunity plays a critical role in working for such a global company as Google.

Daniel Y. Bukenya
Uganda
Portfolio Manager
Uganda Operations
Standard Chartered Bank
E-Biz Class of 2008

I am now working in the business banking department of Standard Chartered Bank (Uganda) as a Portfolio Manager. My key learning at IUJ was how to apply technology to ease the day to day work and I have been able to apply skills at my work place that have added value to the bank's bottom line.

In my experience in the technology realm, I have come to learn that it is growing so fast that new inventions easily get obsolete. My future plan is to get involved in the mobile banking industry in Uganda where use of mobile phones for banking is still in its nascent stages. Studies of the same subject on Korea and Japan during my stay at IUJ give me a privileged position of knowing the challenges and ways around them based on the best practices that these economies have developed over time in the utilization of the mobile platform.

My advice to prospective applicants is that you should work hard and get through the rigorous selection process to join IUJ. The day you join IUJ will not be an end in itself; It will be the beginning of insurmountable opportunities. It will only be up to you to either take them or let them pass you by.

Sevinj Ibrahimova
Azerbaijan
Economist
German Technical Cooperation
E-Biz Class of 2006

Many of my friends ask why I decided to do my Master’s at IUJ. I always tell them that there are a lot of things at IUJ that you cannot discover at other universities. IUJ is an international mini-country, which helps you learn in a completely different atmosphere.

In classes we get guest speakers who explain current operations and processes within their companies. The professors here are very kind and friendly. During classes students do not feel pressured, and it is actually quite pleasurable. 　

After returning back to Azerbaijan I have shared my knowledge with people who want to start businesses in the electronic world. To people who want to get their Master’s degree abroad, I always tell them that if they want to obtain advanced knowledge and develop an international network of friends, IUJ is the right place to come.

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Tetsuharu Takagi, Japan
E-Biz Class of 2002

I joined the E-Biz Program as a private student just out of college... after one year of study in E-Biz program, I have found a great job with a leading consulting company PWC Consultants (Price Waterhouse Coopers)...

 

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Reynard Poernawan, Indonesia
Bloomberg, Japan
E-Biz Class of 2006

E-business at IUJ has given me so much.  If it was not for the support of the business school and its faculty, I could never have had the three great years of experience I have gained here in Japan. Never have I met such supporting and caring faculty members.  Everyone would greet you with a smile and try their best to care for your needs. Students at IUJ can certainly gain extensive business, communications and technical skills that they need to search for employment and to be successful at work. Dream big, and you can achieve it starting by setting your foot right at IUJ's doorstep.

 

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Yuri Bey, Indonesia
Tyson Foods, United States
E-Biz Class of 2008

IUJ's E-Biz program appealed to me the most among other leading business management/information technology graduate programs because I could finish within a year, not to mention being in Japan, the epicenter of technological innovation. Yet, I felt even more drawn to the program once I joined due to the multinational exposure, the quality of the curriculum, the cross-cultural networking opportunities, and the fine facilities. Our high tech e-lab served its purpose really well where we built our own databases and websites for various projects. We also gained key business insights, not only from the highly talented and helpful faculty and staff, but also from special guest speakers such as the CEO of Google Japan and corporate leaders of top Japanese consulting and IT firms, which was truly invaluable. No doubt, this one year of E-Biz study was one of the remarkable and rewarding experiences for both my professional career and personal growth.

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Ma Xin, China
E-Biz Class of 2009

I really enjoyed my IUJ life, especially my E-Biz life. The E-Biz program was very new for me; it helped me to learn a lot about Information Technology in Business, and also taught me a lot of computer skills. The E-Biz program is not only a place to study, but is a family.  Classmates and professors worked and played together, enjoying our different cultures.

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Uong Thu Thuy, Vietnam
E-Biz Class of 2009

E-Biz is an amazing program that can bring both knowledge and joy. I had a chance to choose E-Biz courses and MBA courses for my purposes. I was able to build up my international network with the presence of the multi-cultural students in IUJ. I also enjoyed the fresh life in campus so much with my best friends in the E-Biz Program.  This will be an unforgettable sweet memory.