2025 Overseas Study Program Report
2025 Overseas Study Program Report
The 2025 Overseas Study Program of the Graduate School of Business Administration was conducted over one week from September 7 to 13. The program focused on two major metropolitan areas in East Asia with close economic ties to Japan: the high-growth region of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and, the high-tech industrial hub around Shenzhen, China. Participants engaged in a tightly packed schedule including special lectures and field visits to sites of economic development and local companies.
From September 8 to 10, activities were conducted in and around Ho Chi Minh City. On the first day, participants visited the Ho Chi Minh City headquarters of the Hong Kong-based Sunwah Group and its Innovation Center. Here they received a warm welcome from President Jesse Choi and Director Celia Chen, among others. Following an introduction to the group’s business development activities in Vietnam and the broader ASEAN region, a special lecture titled “Vietnam’s Industrial Policy and Foreign Investment Strategy: Current Landscape and Key Challenges” was delivered.
Subsequently, the group visited two model companies that have obtained the latest international certifications for their environmental- and health-conscious practices: Dragon Up Tan Do Co., Ltd., a Taiwan-affiliated local firm engaged in R&D and the manufacturing of PU and EVA materials; and, Satori Investment & Trading JSC, a beverage manufacturer. At Amata City Bien Hoa Industrial Park, participants observed the state of infrastructure development led by the Vietnamese government and gained insights into the concentration of Foreign-owned subsidiaries, especially Japanese enterprises operating in the area.
On the morning of September 10, a visit was made to Fukuoka Bank Ho Chi Minh City Representative Office. This marked the final study session in Ho Chi Minh City. Here participants gained valuable insights from the resident representative about the distribution of Japanese companies throughout Vietnam and the importance of overcoming cultural barriers in business development.
On the afternoon of September 10, the group traveled to Shenzhen, and on the following day attended a special lecture at the Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, a partner institution with which an academic Memorandum of Understanding has been signed. The lectures were delivered by Professor Zhu Hang and Professor Chen Juanyi from Sun Yat-sen University’s School of Business. Professor Chen provided a clear and engaging explanation of “China’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ecosystem” using the development of Shenzhen—a leading city in science and technology—as a case study. Professor Zhu presented illustrative cases of innovation and new product development by Tencent, a top-tier high-tech company founded in Shenzhen, focusing on its business collaborations across lifestyle, industrial, and societal sectors.
Following the lectures, the group conducted site visits to local enterprises. At the headquarter of Tencent Holdings Limited—originally a start-up founded by Shenzhen University graduate Ma Huateng, and now one of the world’s leading high-tech companies—participants viewed corporate exhibitions showcasing business development. At the Information R&D Center of China Merchants Bank, the first private bank established in Shenzhen after the Reform and Opening-Up program, the group learned about the bank’s growth and its initiatives in promoting digital transformation (DX) . These visits provided valuable insights into the practical realities of innovation in China. Furthermore, participants toured a cutting-edge factory operated by a Japanese-affiliated local firm and experienced a ride in an autonomous vehicle that has officially entered the taxi business, deepening their understanding of the topics covered in the lectures made by both professors.
This was the first overseas study program in six years to include field visits to a pair of regions, encompassing visits to two of the most energetic urban hubs in Asia. Despite the long travel distances and the challenges of securing interpreters for two different local languages, the program offered a rich experience. Seeing the satisfied faces of participants upon their return to Fukuoka Airport brought a sense of relief and accomplishment.
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