{"id":335198,"date":"2026-05-28T00:23:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T00:23:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/335198\/"},"modified":"2026-05-28T00:23:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T00:23:09","slug":"executive-mba-students-explore-japans-resurgent-economy-in-inaugural-immersion-trip-haas-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/335198\/","title":{"rendered":"Executive MBA students explore Japan\u2019s resurgent economy in inaugural immersion trip – Haas News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"EMBAStudents in the 2026 EMBA class (pictured in front of Tokyo Station) were the first to participate in the inaugural Japan Global Immersion Program. Photo: Mike Rielly<\/p>\n

UC Berkeley Haas executive MBA<\/a> students headed to Tokyo this month for the inaugural Japan Global Immersion program, visiting influential companies, meeting alumni leaders, and connecting with Dean Jenny Chatman.<\/p>\n

The international immersion is one of five required during the 22-month executive MBA program<\/a>. Japan is the program\u2019s newest international location, chosen for its extensive number of Haas alumni and the Berkeley Executive Education (BEE) network.<\/p>\n

During the trip, held May 11-15, 58 students visited some of Japan\u2019s best-known companies, including Mitsubishi Estate<\/a>, Onitsuka Tiger<\/a>, Japan Airlines<\/a>, SONY<\/a>, Nomura Holdings<\/a>, JETRO<\/a>, and Sega Sammy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"groupThe EMBA cohort visited Sega Sammy during the immersion week. Haruki Satomi, MBA 12, is president and CEO of Sega Sammy Holdings.<\/p>\n

\u201cJapan is experiencing an extraordinary resurgence,\u201d said Elizabeth Stanners, executive director of the executive MBA program. \u201cFrom globally established corporations to a rapidly evolving startup ecosystem, the country offers unparalleled opportunities for our students to deepen their understanding of the global economy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tokyo, as the newest international immersion, is one of five required<\/a> during the program. Others include Leadership Communication in Santa Cruz; Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Silicon Valley; Applied Innovation in wine country; and Business and Public Policy in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n

\"twoSteven Jim, EMBA 26, EMBA cohort co-president, (left), with Saikat Chaudhuri, Tokyo immersion instructor and faculty director of the undergraduate Management, Entrepreneurship, and Technology (M.E.T.) program at Haas.<\/p>\n

Steven Jim, EMBA 26, a cohort co-president and a process engineer at the Intel Foundry, said the immersions are a critical differentiator for Haas.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe weeklong intensive sessions provide opportunities to go deep on a particular subject,\u201d he said. \u201cThey are also very special opportunities for our cohort to become tighter. Whether we were in California or Japan, the immersions serve the purpose of building that supportive culture and that sense of camaraderie that make the Haas EMBA program so unique and the only program I applied to.\u201d<\/p>\n

A group effort<\/p>\n

The Tokyo immersion leveraged the deep professional networks of Dean Chatman and Berkeley Executive Ed CEO Mike Rielly, drawing on their extensive connections with Haas alumni and global clients. To bring the program to life, a cross-functional team\u2014including Stanners and Kirsten Berzon, the EMBA program\u2019s associate director of Events and Experiential Learning\u2014integrated expertise from the Dean\u2019s Office, Admissions, Development and Alumni Relations, and Berkeley Executive Education.<\/p>\n

Saikat Chaudhuri, faculty director of the undergraduate Management, Entrepreneurship, and Technology (M.E.T.), served as course instructor. As teaching assistant, Sahar Kleinman, EMBA 18, and Haas Alumni Council Chair, played a key role in the content and delivery of the new course.<\/p>\n

Chaudhuri said the immersion was designed to offer a behind-the-scenes look at innovation and entrepreneurship in Japan, cultivating students\u2019 leadership skills in an increasingly interconnected world. The trip also provided opportunities for the group to soak in the long-standing culture of the country through visits to the Meiji Jingu Shrine and the Imperial Palace Gardens. \u201cThose visits put the country\u2019s leadership philosophies and corporate values in context,\u201d Chaudhuri said.<\/p>\n

\"fourMike Rielly, CEO of Berkeley Executive Education, Steve Jim, EMBA 26, Kirsten Berzon, associate director of Events and Experiential Learning for the EMBA program, and Kakeru Tojo, immersion week advisor and guide, try on the uniforms at Japan Airlines.<\/p>\n

Berkeley Haas has one of the largest contingencies of global alumni outside of the U.S. in Japan, including two Haas Board members, Haruki Satomi, MBA 12, president and CEO of Sega Sammy Holdings; and Seiichiro Yamamoto, MBA 92, board chair of Nomura Asset Management.<\/p>\n

Those connections were among the reasons for Chatman\u2019s Human Edge of Innovation Global Tour, which took her to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, and Tokyo, where she ended the tour so she could meet with the EMBA students and Haas alumni.\u00a0(She also sat down for an interview<\/a> with the Japan Times to discuss why universities are critical to startup success.) <\/p>\n

\u201cTokyo was the emotional highlight of the trip,\u201d Chatman said. \u201cI intentionally planned my Asia visit around the Japan immersion week. Being there alongside our EMBAs during their final in-person week before commencement felt special. I bonded with this class as I watched them soak in this experience together. It was a moment I won\u2019t soon forget.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"twoHaas Dean Jenny Chatman (middle) closed out her Human Edge of Innovation Global Tour in Tokyo so she could meet with EMBA students and Haas alumni.<\/p>\n

Inspiring visits<\/p>\n

One immersion highlight was a visit to Japan Airlines, where the students were welcomed by Hiroko Kojima, CEO of JAL Mileage Bank, before touring the aircraft hangar where wide-body jumbo jets are serviced. The cohort also heard from a finance executive there who spoke candidly about the airline\u2019s recovery after facing bankruptcy, inviting questions and ideas for the company\u2019s future from the cohort. \u201cHe asked how the company could continue innovating and remain competitive,\u201d topics that the students addressed in their Haas courses, Jim said.<\/p>\n

\"groupA tour of the Japan Airlines hangar, where students were welcomed by Hiroko Kojima, CEO of JAL Mileage Bank.<\/p>\n

Sony\u2019s Chief Digital Officer John Kodera met with students who were struck by how the company\u2019s global management team executes across industries including movies, music, and gaming. <\/p>\n

For William Mee, EMBA 26, hearing from Masahiro Ito, CEO of PowerX, which Japan Airlines has invested in, and Ryoji Shoda, the head of the shoe brand Onitsuka Tiger, was inspiring.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIto spoke about providing energy for data centers, an area I am very interested in, and Shoda was quietly passionate in speaking about building a brand versus making a quick profit,\u201d he said. \u201cI know little about fashion brands, but his attention to detail and conviction really stood out.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Christina Tasci, EMBA 26, brought her husband, mother, and two young children along for the trip.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt felt incredibly meaningful to have my family see this part of my life firsthand,\u201d she said. \u201cMy kids got to watch me investing in myself, and my family got to meet the lifelong friends I\u2019ve made through Haas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alumni connections<\/p>\n

Company hosts were inspired by the EMBA cohort visits. \u201cIt was a joy to welcome friends from Berkeley Haas and Berkeley Exec Ed, and the future leaders from Haas,\u201d said Kojima of Japan Airlines. \u201cOur speakers and volunteers were incredibly impressed by the energy, intellectual curiosity, and high-level discussions brought by the Haas students.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to meetings with Satomi and Yamamoto, the students attended receptions and dinners with Atsushi Nakajima, MBA 93, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Estate; Yasuyuki Konuma, MBA 92, president of the Haas Japan Chapter; Atsushi Toda, MBA 94, Kazutaka Kanairo, MBA 10, co-deputy presidents of the Haas Japan Chapter; and Mitsuru Igarashi, BS 89 (Engineering), a UC Berkeley Foundation trustee.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"twoVenkata Gadde, EMBA 26, with Seiichiro Yamamoto, MBA 92, board chair of Nomura Asset Management.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was neat to see both the size and strength of the Haas network and also see how our international alumni embrace the Haas Defining Leadership Principles<\/a> in their own way,\u201d said Emily Nakashima, EMBA 26.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Yamamoto, one of several Haas alumni attending the closing dinner, said he found the EMBA students\u2019 emotional speeches shared during the dinner about their experiences in the program deeply moving. \u201cIt touched the hearts of our Haas Japan leadership,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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