Sharpen Global Leadership Skills-Kumamoto Mansfield Lecture Series Special Seminar

On January 25th, 2025, Kumamoto University hosted a special seminar as part of the Kumamoto Mansfield Lecture Series at Higo Bank. The seminar featured two distinguished speakers, Mr. Tsunehiko Yanagihara and Ms. Tomoko Kitagawa, who shared their insights on fostering leadership in the face of global challenges, and on cultivating a global mindset and attitude from both business and academic perspectives. Approximately 100 participants attended the seminar.

The event began with opening remarks from Director Takashi Ono of the Regional Development Department at Higo Bank. Distinguished Professor Takanori Sonoda of Kumamoto University’s Organization for Globalization then introduced the ongoing collaborative project between the university and the Mansfield Foundation. The seminar proceeded with the main speeches.

Mr. Yanagihara, former Vice President of Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas), focused on the innovation culture of Silicon Valley and shared valuable insights from his experience establishing M-Lab, which supports startup projects entering the Japanese market. He emphasized that true leadership requires continuous self-improvement, even after reaching high levels of success, and encouraged the audience to stay committed to innovation. He also highlighted that economic downturn can, in fact, create valuable opportunities for innovation and new possibilities.

Ms. Kitagawa, a historian, writer, and multifaceted professional, shared her experience teaching at Harvard University. She highlighted how integrating innovation into history education with technology received positive feedback and attracted over 200 students. Her global experiences, including teaching in Europe and South Africa, reinforced the importance of connecting with people from diverse backgrounds, even briefly. She believes the future will focus on “Go Digital, Go Global, and Go Green,” urging everyone to embrace these trends.

The seminar concluded with remarks from Executive Vice President Jun Otani of Kumamoto University, who expressed gratitude to the speakers and outlined the university's ongoing initiatives to enhance internationalization. This seminar is co-organized by Higo Bank, which has been supporting Kumamoto University's internationalization mission and the Mansfield Foundation Project since 2024.