NEWS

The Global Management (Capstone) course serves as the culmination of four years of learning for students in the College of International Management (APM). Guest lecturers are invited to represent companies and discuss the issues their organizations face. Together, domestic and international students explore solutions to these problems, applying the management knowledge they have acquired over the course of their studies.

This Spring 2021 semester, the capstone course was held in cooperation with Yanmar Construction Equipment Co. Ltd. and tackled the theme, “What should be Yanmar’s DX strategy?” Students from 3 different capstone classes analyzed this problem and endeavored to find its solution. The students, who vary in nationality, culture, language, and specialization, were broken into small teams of about 5 individuals to conduct group work as well as presentations.

On Thursday, July 22 2021, the groups gave their final presentations both on campus and online. The best team from each of the three capstone classes were selected to participate in the final session where they presented their solutions to representatives from Yanmar. The winning team, Why not Consulting?, was chosen for their the development of a smart device that could easily collect data at a low cost. All three presenting teams were awarded souvenirs from the company.

President of Yanmar Construction Equipment Co., Ltd., Hiroshi Okuyama commented, "All three teams gave wonderful presentations. In particular, the winning team analyzed the issues from various perspectives and if refined, could actually be implemented at our company. Analysis and policy making are important elements for contributing to and playing an active role in the business world, and they must be tackled on a daily basis. Collaborative work is also necessary.” He then left encouraging words to the students, “I expect that the students will reflect and think deeply on what they have learned in this class, namely what happens in actual business situations, and thereby, become contributing members of society.”