Event Report: Global Professionals Training Symposium

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Ikuko Atumi, a pioneer in multicultural and global business training for 25 years in USA and in Asia, had supported many global companies e.g. IBM, DuPont or more.
The Global Professionals Training Symposium was held on Dec.9 and co-sponsored by  IABC Japan chapter and Keizai Koho Center (Japan Institute for Social and Economic Affairs). There were about 80 attendees in the conference room which is acceptable 100 for maximum. It is our honor that the event was covered by two newspapers.
We invited Ms. Atumi as our key note speaker with her talk theme “The Essence of Globalization and Japanese Potentialities”
She emphasized the necessity of common understanding of the world using “Rule” and “Diversity” as coordinate axes. Taking a bird’s-eye view of globe and changing your dual thought to matrix though can not only help Japanese companies or business persons to ride the wave of globalization, but also suggest us new models solving global issues, she added.
In the second part, we had welcomed four panelists with Kazhiro Amemiya as a moderator – Chapter president of IABC Japan:
  • Kiyoshi Nakamura – Professor/ Doctor of Science in Global Information and Telecommunication Studies, Waseda University,
  • Haruo Kochi – Director of Tokyo branch Human Resources Group, Daikin Industries, Ltd.
  • Tomoko Hasegawa –Chief of Social Communication Head Office, Keidanren (Japan Business Federation)
  • Ikuko Atsumi
With their different standpoints and experiences, we discussed about issues in training global professionals. For Japanese, it is prerequisite to have skill of foreign languages including English. However, business persons or prospect ones like students are usually criticized with extremely regard for the language skill. These panelists have been facing the reality that foreign languages are not everything. Mr. Nakamura pointed out expressiveness and presentation skills are necessary to exchange your thoughts in global world and the Japanese character is making it difficult. He added that Japanese have to change not only business training but also all educations from elementary to remove nervousness of expressing what you really think. Ms. Hasegawa agreed his opinions.
As a corporate example, Mr. Kochi introduced that the company shares information with all and make the organization easy to solve issues and problems with even discussion.
In the end, we have faced clear issues in global professionals training which are reformation of education curriculum in Japan, and change of individuals thoughts to understand diversity with matrix view.