"Learning makes the goal clearer." Katsuya Yoshimura

Works at a tax accountant office
Katsuya Yoshimura

PgDip (Certificate Program) Nagoya
Entrance in April 2015

In April 2015, he started taking the PgDip (Certificate Program) and is currently attending the program on weekends while balancing his work.

What made you decide to study more?

My job as a tax consultant is to receive monthly payment and receipt information from clients, organize and analyze it, and provide tax and accounting advice. As I continued my work, I learned that there were companies that were facing management problems due to changes in the business environment, etc. I began to think that I needed to provide consulting services not only for taxation and accounting but also for overall management. At the same time, however, I was faced with the dilemma of not being confident that I could provide accurate advice.
I had also studied management on my own, but I did not understand how to apply the theories and frameworks in practice. I decided that I wanted to attend a business school and study for an MBA so that I would be able to provide proactive advice that considers the overall management of my clients before their business conditions deteriorate.

Why did you choose the NUCB Business School?

One of my colleagues at the tax accountant's office where I work is a graduate of the NUCB Business School, and I had heard good things about the school, so I decided to take a trial MBA class. I was shocked to find that the content of the class, which focused on the management problems of one-man presidents, was exactly the same as the questions I had been asking myself in practice. It was a question that had been bothering me for a long time, and I had come up with my own solutions, but I wasn't even sure if they were correct. When I listened to Mr. Yuji Nagasawa, who was in charge of the trial class, as he explained his own situation, I found something in his words that pierced my heart and cleared up my longstanding doubts, and I decided that I wanted to study at this school.
Since I am a junior college graduate, I decided to enroll in the PgDip with the goal of entering graduate school.

Do you feel that you are growing?

Since I enrolled in April 2015, I have taken 10 classes so far. In each class, I have the opportunity to speak in front of people, so I am thinking about how to speak logically so that people can understand. In the last class, I found that my speech was wasteful, so next time I will try to be more concise. At first, I was hesitant to speak up in class discussions, but now I can speak in front of others without hesitation, and I think my mental strength has improved. After all, it takes a lot of confidence to speak in front of others, but this confidence comes from thorough preparation for classes and repeated practice in speaking. Since what I learn in class is directly applicable to my work, the confidence I gain in class is directly related to my confidence in my work.
In addition, I have been able to brush up my business documents and e-mails that I used to create on my own. Whenever I see a good PowerPoint presentation or report prepared by one of my classmates, I keep trying to learn how to write it myself. This may seem like a small thing, but I think it is one of the most important tools that can upgrade a businessman in terms of communicating with others.

What did you gain from your studies at NUCB Business School?

The first class I took after entering the school was "Business Presentation" taught by Professor Takehiko Ito, and I was really impressed by his class, which I felt was very strict. I enrolled in the program because I wanted to improve myself, so I was satisfied with the high level of classes offered, even if they were a bit tough. As a businessman who has actually traveled the world, Professor Ito's words surprised me and made me want to broaden my horizons even more. I was also impressed by Professor Tadashi Ueda's classes. I was unaware that Professor Ueda was teaching at NUCB, and had been reading his books intently for some time. So I was very happy to be able to take classes from someone who is famous as an expert. The high level of the teachers and the ambitious classmates inspired me a lot, and I started to set bigger goals for my future. I think it was a great benefit for me to be able to set concrete benchmarks for when and how much effort I need to put in to reach my goals.

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取材：2015年11月