
At Hitotsubashi ICS, we are achieving the “Best of Two Worlds“ by acting as a bridge between cultures, academic disciplines, and business mindsets.
ICS contributes to the betterment of society by bridging: the future and the present; idealism and realism; and societal changes and innovations.
As dean, I send my warmest welcome to Hitotsubashi ICS.
Hitotsubashi University Business School shares the long-time mission of its parent school, Hitotsubashi University, which is to nurture the “Captains of Industry.” Our university forefathers, with their great wisdom and foresight, procured a site in Tokyo’s business district just blocks away from the Imperial Palace. The palace grounds, with lush greenery, are surrounded by urban multiplexes, sparkling corporate HQs, innumerable eateries, and easy access to subway and rail transportation.
Hitotsubashi University’s Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy (ICS) was established in 2000 as Japan’s first global, all-English MBA program. Hitotsubashi University, itself, started out in 1875 as an institute for business training, tasked with producing “modern” businessmen. ICS shares with Hitotsubashi University a staunch commitment to excellence in business education and academic research, and, like its parent school, demonstrates a strong pioneering spirit. ICS quickly established its unique positioning in Japan with the launch of English-only MBA and DBA programs, which are supported by a depth of research, a strong network with business leaders and innovators, and an international faculty and student body. Today, through its very own Signature Courses, ICS teaches at the frontier of business education.
It is our policy to keep the entering classes small. Our student-faculty ratio is 5:1. The students belong to seminars, a format that allows for regular group discussions. These seminars are led by faculty members. The small size of the entering class gives students the opportunity to work closely with each other and also their professors. They can get to know each other well, both inside and outside the classroom. “The ICS Experience” often results in strong relationships, sometimes even life-long relationships.
We design our program as a “leadership development journey.” We do more than just equip our students with a 21st century skill set. Through our core MBA courses and an integrated set of our own courses, students will: (1) discover their own leadership philosophy and an authentic leadership style; (2) understand diverse perspectives; and (3) embrace the complexities of reality, taking a large step toward becoming a wise leader, one that can lead others in this unpredictable, complex world, for the betterment of society.
At Hitotsubashi ICS, all that we do is guided by our Mission, Vision, and Core Values. Learn how these contribute to a premium learning experience.
I invite you to explore “the Hitotsubashi ICS Difference.” You can view our website and register for the next online Admission Event, and even take part in an Open Campus event (i.e., attend an online mock lecture to have the ICS classroom experience). For anyone aspiring to a stellar global career, the keys are a willingness to see the world from a different perspective and a pioneering spirit.
Emi Osono, Ph.D.
Dean, Professor
Hitotsubashi ICS