New frontiers open at orientation for international enrollees

With nearly 100 new students from 33 different countries joining our programs in English in the Fall 2022 semester, preparations for arrival and orientation have been underway since July. Having not had the opportunity to welcome such a large group of international student in years, international affairs staff worked tirelessly to ensure that the transition to life and study in Japan would be as smooth as possible for the new crop of degree candidates and exchange students developing their frontier spirits through an intensive course of study at our institution.

Orientation sessions held on the 10th of September not only provided guidance on diploma policy, attendance confirmation procedure, and course registration. Students were greeted with warm words of welcome from Dean Seiichiro Iwasawa, who also teaches Corporate Finance and Behavioral Economics & Finance courses for the MiM and MBA (EN) programs. In his welcome address delivered via Zoom to 190 new students across all programs, Dean Iwasawa shared his interpretation of the NUCB Business School mission statement and motto, and encouraged new students to renew their sense of purpose through their studies.

"We educate our students with the hope that they will become the kind of leaders who can open paths where there are no paths, and who can move forward with a positive spirit even when the path is difficult."

- Dean Seiichiro Iwasawa,
on the meaning of "Frontier Spirit"

Employing a case written by an NUCBBS alumnus, the Case Method Orientation held by Prof. Ricardo Lim brought newly arrived students on campus and soon-to-arrive students joining remotely together in the hybrid auditorium. The 2-hour session ending in a general Q&A allowed eager participants to develop--or flex--their case method muscles in preparation for the challenge of this semester's courses, which include a new MiM course on Analytic Frameworks in Management (Prof. Sasanuma), as well as returning favorites, such as the SDGs Project course (Prof. Goi & Prof. Hakeem).

We wish all of our international students a smooth transition into life in Japan and an enriching experience in our lecture halls. We look forward to playing our part in helping you reach your aspirations and go beyond!