Executive Students Explore Tokyo, Nagoya and Kyoto on New Darden Worldwide Course
Twenty-three Darden Executive MBA students recently returned from an elective course to Japan. This course, separate from the program’s global executive residencies, allowed students to learn about business in Tokyo, Nagoya and Kyoto. While Darden has run Darden Worldwide Courses for full-time MBA students to Japan, this was the first course for executive MBAs to the country.
The course, led by Darden Professors Marc Modica and Shizuka Modica, allowed students to hear from leaders of Japanese companies, engage in discussions, visit factories, and learn about Japanese history and culture through a variety of local engagements. Company visits included Kyocera, Fujitsu, Omron and Toyota. Pictorial highlights of the course are included below:
On the first day of the program, students visited Tokyo highlights on a tour.Learning about and experiencing innovation firsthand at Miraikan!During a visit to the U.S. Embassy and Tokyo, students heard from experts Adam VanDeusen (UVA ’06) and Raquel Cantu about economic and political relations between the two countries.Laura Pettus, Lisa Lowery and Sarah Belna (all Class of 2018) enjoy the company visit to Fujitsu.Upon arrival to Nagoya, students toured Nagoya Castle and Tokugawa-en Gardens on route to their Toyota plant tour.Students learned about Toyota by walking through a plant, including the assembly area and then also visiting the Toyota commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology before meeting with Chee Ming Loh, Project Manager within the Global HR Planning Group of Toyota Tsusho Corporation.In Kyoto, one highlight of the program was the opportunity to participate in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
