To The Editor

Back to Contents of Issue: May 2002


What our readers have to say ...

I WAS VERY HAPPY to see your article on the development of more MBA programs in Japan (Homegrown MBAs Catch On by Yoko Shimatsuka, March 2002). Indeed, the chance to get a quality education with MBA credentials need not be limited to those wanting to travel to the US or Europe. Especially for those looking for business careers in Japan and greater Asia the chance to stay in Japan and network with others from this region is what is needed.
Your article neglected to mention the leading MBA program in Japan, however. International University of Japan is a fully accredited Japanese private institution. IUJ's MBA is the highest ranked in Japan, according to Asia-Inc magazine (August 2001), coming in 9th in all of Asia, the only MBA program in Japan to make the top 20 listing. IUJ offers its 280 students the chance to network with others from 50 countries during our 2-year (or 1-year E-business program) residential program: over 80 percent are from overseas, and less than 20 percent are from Japan. All course work is in English, and the interaction outside of class provides cultural awareness and a natural global leadership training ground.
IUJ's MBA school was established in 1988, graduating its first batch in 1990, ahead of Aoyama Gakuin. IUJ also has an MA school that was founded 20 years ago, offering degrees in international relations and international development. MBA students can cross-register into those programs to customize their education to best meet their professional aims. IUJ's academic offerings meet global standards as our relationship with prominent exchange school partners, such at Darden, Manchester, etc., can demonstrate.
IUJ also can boast an active Career Services office that places students into internships and creates employment opportunities with leading companies in Japan. The counselors offer workshops, resume and cover letter support, alumni networking introductions and interviews and corporate presentations exclusively for IUJ students.
So, in short, IUJ offers what your readers are looking for and more. And I hope this brief introduction can assure your readers that a quality MBA with the chance to network with all of Asia, with study only in English, is alive and well in Japan -- @IUJ.

Gretchen Shinoda
Director, Career Counseling and Services, http://iuj.jp
AFTER READING YOUR ARTICLE Homegrown MBAs Catch On, I just had to drop you a line ... or two. I am currently an MBA candidate studying at the International University of Japan in Niigata Prefecture and I am flabbergasted as to why IUJ didn't show up in your story. IUJ is an amazing place. Why don't more people know about it! I mean, what are we, chopped liver? If your magazine is looking for a REAL story, they should take a look at IUJ.
I started subscribing to your illustrious magazine last summer because I wanted to stay on top of what was happening in Japan. Normally I find your articles informative and insightful and blah blah blah ... BUT, if, as it says on every issue, above the title, that the magazine is about BUSINESS, TECHNOLOGY and PEOPLE, then we've got all of that and more!
The faculty at IUJ is incredibly diverse, not to mention the student body! Let me give you an example: For stress release, I regularly play soccer with a team of guys from Morocco, Japan, Turkey, Ghana, Egypt, Indonesia, Germany, Nepal and France ... did I forget to include Eritrea? All of them fellow students, all right here at IUJ, smack dab in the middle of little old Yamatomachi, Niigata, Nihon.
You may be thinking, this guy sounds like he's part of the PR department. Honestly, I ain't. But I do have a stake in this place and would really love for more people to know about it.
So, come on J@pan Inc! Stray off the beaten path a bit. Step out of the big cities for a different story.

Andrew J. 'Jake' Cameron
International University of Japan
Yamato-machi Minami Uonuma-gun
Niigata



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