News & Announcements

Two students were on the list of winning teams at the X-Culture project 2022

07/04/2022/in Frontpage Article, IM News /by Public Relations

X-culture, which is a virtual teamwork, has announced their finalists. In this project, students from different universities across the world work together on a real business problem, and after researching and analyzing the business, the team suggests alternative options for solving the problem. This year, more than 6,000 students took part in this global competition from 53 countries. Gergely Kaszas and Tirman Miles Fielder Robert from the International University of Japan (IUJ), who worked under the supervision of Professor Yingying Zhang Zhang, are on the list of winning teams. Yingying Zhang Zhang, who is a professor in the Graduate School of International Management of IUJ, stated that “IUJ students have also participated in other years and achieved excellent results. Most students have gained global business experience, with a real life company challenge to work in a global virtual team.”

Both students worked in two different teams to solve two different companies’ problems. The reports of their teamwork were reviewed by business experts and selected as the best among 1,032 reports in this competition. Mr. Gergely explained that “the X-culture project was one of the most challenging exercises during the first year of my MBA program. My team of five students from different universities worked around three time zones and built a market entry strategy into the Vietnamese market for a US family-owned firm. Despite never meeting my teammates face-to-face, we managed to deliver the project on time. The experience helped me gain leadership and coordination skills.” Besides, Miles also shared his experience and achievement from the journey with us: “I am quite pleased with myself over this achievement.” It was a fun project at times, particularly when it was finished. However, I learned a lot and look forward to applying the same concepts to my actual work moving forward. “

Congratulations to all the winners!

The 1st JERA Award Ceremony (JERA Asia Scholarship)

07/01/2022/in Frontpage Article, News, Uncategorized /by Public Relations

The 1st JERA Award Ceremony (JERA Asia Scholarship) was held at the JERA Main Office in Tokyo on June 27, Monday and the 5 scholars receiving this generous scholarship were invited.

Each scholar was given a scholarship certificate by Mr. Akihiko Taniguchi, who is our respected alumni (Class of 1995) and currently a Senior Supervisor in the General Affairs office at JERA.

The scholars also had a great opportunity to go see the inside of Kawasaki Thermal Power Station, a state-of-the-art LNG-fired plant that offers world-class performance, and gained a lot of knowledge of the advanced technologies used there.

IUJ thanks JERA for its deep engagement with IUJ for scholarships and employment opportunities for IUJ students.

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Office of Student Service
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IUJ held its 2022 Graduation Ceremony

06/28/2022/in Frontpage Article /by Public Relations

On Saturday June 25th, the graduation ceremony of class 2022 was held in Minamiuonuma City Hall. This year, 93 master’s students and 1 Ph.D. student from the Graduate School of International Relations and 47 master’s students from the Graduate School of International Management joined together to celebrate the culmination of their academic achievements alongside respective representatives from embassies, families, friends and IUJ faculty and staff.

Introductory remarks from IUJ President Hiroyuki Itami

President Hiroyuki Itami congratulated all students for completing their academic programs at IUJ. He mentioned that the graduation was not a special day only for celebrating the end of an academic journey, but also because we can celebrate the end of two successful years “without any major outbreaks on campus.” He added that IUJ is proud of all the students, faculty, and staff for making this journey possible.

President Itami stated: “IUJ is a very special place for cross-cultural interaction and being an English-speaking university in Japan where international standards are being persuaded, and students from 50 countries are living together.”

President Itami hoped that IUJ would remain a place where alumni wanted to come back after their memories, and he made sure that they are always welcome.

Congratulatory address by Taro Aso
Vice President of the liberal democratic party

Mr. Taro Aso expressed his happiness at the graduation ceremony for students who have completed their masters and Ph.D. programs. He said that IUJ is now home to future leaders in many countries. What they learned in classes and during the social interactions on campus will pay off for them, and their children will be proud of them for serving the world through their knowledge and expertise.

He said that while having responsibilities in various organizations, he tried to contribute to the world economy and find solutions to problems, in which, to some extent, he succeeded. There are many more things to do, “Lose no patience, absolutely no patience and believe that your step, however small, shall make a giant stride, someday.”

Dean of International Relations Maung Aung Myoe

Dean Myoe started his statement by congratulating and praising all the students who were able to successfully complete their academic journey despite the many challenges they faced during the last two years. He mentioned that combined with this year’s graduates, a total number of 2,967 have graduated from GSIR since 1982.

Dean Myoe also praised the unique surroundings of the IUJ campus, which has beautiful nature and all the learning facilities. In the end, he congratulated all the students and wished them the best for their future.

Dean of International Management Hyunkoo Lee

Dean Lee also congratulated students for completing their graduate and postgraduate journeys at IUJ. Dean Lee pointed out the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused most face-to-face classes to become virtual, which made academic life challenging. Dean Lee added that, however, the students learned enough about today’s world practices, but it will not be enough some years later. Because the world is changing and so is its situation. Therefore, they need to keep themselves updated and be innovative so they can cooperate for the world’s welfare.

After the speeches from President Itami, special guest Mr. Taro Aso, Dean Myoe and Dean Lee, degrees were awarded. Each student was individually called to the stage to accept their diplomas, and once they were all presented the requisite cap toss took place!

International Relations Valedictorian: Irene Angela Valones Cuya

Irene congratulated her fellow graduates of 2022 and mentioned that despite the novel COVID-19 pandemic and online classes, they tried their best. She shared her experience on the IUJ campus, where students and their families share moments of joy and care for each other. She said: “We faced challenges and hardships, but we overcame our fears and learned, and in the end, we grew stronger.” She expressed gratitude to her supervisor, the IUJ faculty, and management for their support of her academic life at IUJ.

International Relations Valedictorian: Mukesh Dangol

Mukesh congratulated his fellows for completing their academic journey at IUJ. He said that “studying in IUJ was a self-discovery for me and for many of us. I got time and a platform to introspect myself. ” Mukesh mentioned how IUJ provided him a unique opportunity not only through classes but also by being involved in different social and academic activities during his master’s. He also thanked his supervisor and other IUJ professors for their support and guidance. To quote Mukesh, “Live life to the fullest and enjoy every moment.”

The annual tree unveiling ceremony

After the ceremony proceedings, students regathered at IUJ for the annual tree unveiling ceremony. Each year, two new trees are planted in the campus Alumni Forest – one representing the Graduate School of International Management, and one representing the Graduate School of International Relations. The trees, growing strong and tall, are a metaphor for what we wish for our graduating students in the next chapter of their journeys.

Once again IUJ congratulates our Class of 2022, not only for their academic achievements but for enriching our university. We thank everyone who supported them throughout their time here in Japan and came out to celebrate at the ceremony. We have no doubt that this year’s graduating class will have a positive impact on the world, and we’re fortunate to have been part of their stories.

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IUJ PR Team
media@iuj.ac.jp
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