Entrepreneurship Education Program Started at Nippon Sport and Science University Kashiwa High School

The Freelance Network, one of NUCB Business School's alumni networks, in collaboration with Nippon Sport and Science University Kashiwa High School (Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture; hereafter Nissai University Kashiwa High School) and the Kashiwa Chamber of Commerce and Industry Young Men's Club (hereafter the Chamber), has launched a program to provide entrepreneurship education to first-year students at Nissai University Kashiwa High School. The first session was held on Wednesday, April 13, 2022.

In this year-long program, first-year students from Nissai University Kashiwa High School visit companies belonging to the Junior Chamber of Commerce and Industry and work to solve problems within the companies. Participants belonging to the university's Effectuation Network provide support through monthly classes on the expertise needed to solve problems in the companies and mentoring (consultation sessions).

On the opening day of the program, Professor Yasutomi Kitahara, who is in charge of the Freelance Network, gave a lecture on the theme, "How can we solve management problems?"

In many classes at high schools, problems are prepared and students learn to seek the only solution to the question. However, problem solving in the business world differs from problem solving in school classes in that the problem is not prepared in advance, and students must discover the problem on their own. There is also more than one answer. Students must choose the appropriate option from among many possible solutions. After learning about business problem-solving techniques, the students engaged in lively class discussion, which was hard to believe that it was only their third day at the school,
We will continue to support the students in the future and hope that they will be successful in their projects.

About the Freelance Network

The Freelance Network is an organization for current and former students of the university who wish to start their own business or start a side business (double business) to support each other's entrepreneurial activities, and for participants to actively improve their skills and seek knowledge. The activities include: support for starting a business by helping each other before and after starting a business to develop the business, and activities to explore the skills and knowledge of freelancers.

About Professor Yasutomi Kitahara