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HKUST MBA |
FULL-TIME MBA PROGRAM
Japan Career Trek by Japan Club
Japan Career Trek by Japan Club
Japan is a popular tourist destination. Many of us have visited the country as tourists, but how many of you have travelled there for business and interacted with Japanese companies? As one of the participants in the Japan career trek said, “Though I’ve been to Japan more than ten times, I’ve never had a single chance to explore Japanese business spots.” The Japan career trek was a good mix of business and cultural experience.
In early June, the Japan Club took around 20 students to Osaka, Nara, Kyoto and Tokyo. Company visits focused on different elements, from small and medium-sized enterprises like TMSUK, a company that develops and manufactures robots for various applications, to international corporations like Nissan, a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer. The group was especially impressed by how international Nissan is, with all of the speakers, including HR, being non-Japanese. They gave an insightful talk about electric vehicles and Nissan’s leadership program. The Club organized cultural activities including a Geisha show and sightseeing at Asakusa Kannon Temple. Participants also embraced the opportunity to enjoy a fascinating tea ceremony workshop that involved tasting of traditional green tea with an explanation of Japanese culture.
To prepare for the trek, each member of the Japan Club contributed in different ways, including schedule planning and coordination, accommodation arrangements, sponsorship coordination, budget control and acting as tour guides. One of the major challenges for the coordinator was to get the companies’ consent to host visits, as not many companies in Japan are open to the idea of visits by external parties. An enormous amount of time was spent searching for and approaching companies for visits and sponsorships. For example, before the trip, the Club had regular meetings and gatherings with one of the sponsors, Mr. Masaaki Ogino, the founder of City’super. The Club managed to overcome the difficulties and organize a successful trip.
In early June, the Japan Club took around 20 students to Osaka, Nara, Kyoto and Tokyo. Company visits focused on different elements, from small and medium-sized enterprises like TMSUK, a company that develops and manufactures robots for various applications, to international corporations like Nissan, a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer. The group was especially impressed by how international Nissan is, with all of the speakers, including HR, being non-Japanese. They gave an insightful talk about electric vehicles and Nissan’s leadership program. The Club organized cultural activities including a Geisha show and sightseeing at Asakusa Kannon Temple. Participants also embraced the opportunity to enjoy a fascinating tea ceremony workshop that involved tasting of traditional green tea with an explanation of Japanese culture.
To prepare for the trek, each member of the Japan Club contributed in different ways, including schedule planning and coordination, accommodation arrangements, sponsorship coordination, budget control and acting as tour guides. One of the major challenges for the coordinator was to get the companies’ consent to host visits, as not many companies in Japan are open to the idea of visits by external parties. An enormous amount of time was spent searching for and approaching companies for visits and sponsorships. For example, before the trip, the Club had regular meetings and gatherings with one of the sponsors, Mr. Masaaki Ogino, the founder of City’super. The Club managed to overcome the difficulties and organize a successful trip.
Company visit to Nissan, a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama.
The group visited Rakuten, a.k.a. “the Amazon of Japan.”
The Japanese tea ceremony, a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of tea.
The committee of the Japan Club found it interesting to hear how their classmates viewed Japanese culture and felt proud of being Japanese. Some classmates were amazed by how polite Japanese passengers and drivers were in public transport; they also found every site they visited impressive and stunning. The most memorable moments were perhaps the very intimate communications between the students throughout the trip, particularly the onsen experience, where everyone enjoyed relaxing moments in the hot springs with a clear mind.
One participant commented, “Thank you so much for all your hard work planning this, for showing us all these incredible places, for guiding us safely through the busiest bus and train stations, for your warmest hospitality and also for your neverending patience when you had to wait for us lazy Europeans.”
By Sana Chau, Central team
One participant commented, “Thank you so much for all your hard work planning this, for showing us all these incredible places, for guiding us safely through the busiest bus and train stations, for your warmest hospitality and also for your neverending patience when you had to wait for us lazy Europeans.”
By Sana Chau, Central team
UPCOMING EVENT
Global Admissions Events Fall 2019Our marketing and admissions team will travel outside of HK to recruit the next MBA class in the following major cities. If you are interested in supporting your alma mater as an ambassador at one of these locations, please let us know by emailing your contact details, location and latest job updates to mba@ust.hk.
Asia:Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei, Singapore, Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangkok, Manila, Ho Chi Minh City, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen
Europe & North America: Toronto, Vancouver, New York, London, Munich, Moscow
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