Entrepreneurial Education for Individual and Corporate Entrepreneurs

The environment surrounding the Japanese economy has been changing by various factors including the economical globalization and the decline in economical potential caused by the aging of the working population. In this changing framework, urging theme Japan should deal with is revitalizing its business activities and regaining its economical dynamism. What can we do to help these efforts? Throughout the long year experience in education industry, I had come to realize that producing entrepreneurs was my mission. Having supported entrepreneurs in recent years, however, I noticed that the environment required to train entrepreneurs had not been established in Japan yet, and felt that there was a need to promote social understanding while providing entrepreneurship education that offered business opportunities to young people. Graduate Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies (GIES) was established in response to the societal needs. I believe that, as many aspiring entrepreneurs begin to realize his or her entrepreneurial dreams and lead a fulfilling life, entrepreneurship will become a career option that is just as popular as a corporate job, if not more so. Such a climate must occur in Japan.
Our institution offers not only scholarship assistance, but also financial assistance by the special fund for business starters with superior and feasible business plans in order to provide them with real entrepreneurial opportunities. We have opened the path to overseas students and many excellent students from foreign countries are studying at GIES now. It will be more important to recognize business in globalization. Studying together and exchanging information with overseas students will supply Japanese students with good opportunities to cultivate a globalized point of view, and help the human networks to be built. I sincerely hope that many people will understand our policy to contribute the development of the Japanese economy by producing entrepreneurs and business leaders who will one day create new business within organizations.

Profile:IKEDA Hiromu
Ikeda was installed as the high priest of Atago Shrine, and established the Niigata Sogo Gakuin Educational Foundation　in 1977. He was appointed as the chairman of Niigata Sogo Gakuin Educational Foundation in 1995, the vice chairman of Taiheiyo Educational Foundation in 1996, and the chairman of Niigata Sogo Gakuen Educational Foundation (Niigata University of Health and Welfare/Graduate Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies)　in 2000. Currently he acts as the representative of the NSG Group consisting of 29 vocational schools in Niigata, Fukushima, and Tokyo, a graduate school, a university, a high school, private preparatory schools, and healthcare & welfare institutions. Since being appointed as the director of the professional football club, Albirex Niigata in 1996, he boosted the number of attendance to the nation’s top level. Creating a new community-based sports business model, the club won the championship in the second division of Japan Professional Football League (=J2) and was promoted to the first division (=J1) in 2003.

Turn Your Eyes Globally To Succeed at This Time of Change and Globalization

Graduate Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies(GIES) was established with a principle of educating and producing human resources who could contribute to the economic development of our country by creating new businesses and business models that will globally succeed. At this time of global change of economic structure, economy, industries, and enterprises of each country need to cope with such major changes. The ideals and goals of this Graduate School are, responding to the business needs of today, to achieve the following educational aim; “Create new businesses, enhancing the strong spirits to realize the goals”
Creating new businesses and business models are important keys to solve economic problems we are facing both locally and nationally, and such entrepreneurial efforts will lead and help our country to regain its economic dynamism. Our curriculum has been specifically designed to educate and train individual entrepreneurs and corporate entrepreneurs for that purpose.
To ensure further economic development of Japan, reinforcing the relationship with developing

Profile:YUKAWA Masato
Graduate of University of Tokyo Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Born in Niigata City.
Joined Industrial Bank of Japan in 1968 and filled key positions successively. Was active in the front lines in the world of finance as he was appointed director of J.P. Morgan Trust Bank in 1991, executive director of DIAM Life Asset Management in 1999, and president of Cititrust and Banking in 2001. Was appointed president of the Graduate Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies in 2008 after filling the position as vice president.