KU Junior Alumni Association holds 2015 AGM (5 September 2015)

On 5 September, the Kyoto University Junior Alumni Association (KUJAA) convened its 2015 annual general meeting with 41 persons (30 men, 11 women), including members -- alumni aged 45 years or younger -- and guests, in attendance. The event marked the 13th KUJAA gathering since the association was founded in March 2013 with Mr Jico Hui, a 2006 graduate of the Graduate School of Economics, serving as the chairperson. As with the 12th meeting, it was co-hosted with Gakushikai, an association of alumni and former faculty of seven national universities.

Chairman Hui opened the proceedings by stating the purpose of the association and expressing his commitment to bolstering KUJAA's organizational strength, sharing some of the specifics of administration -- which are usually kept confidential -- in the process.

Outcomes of the proceedings include: eligibility criteria for running for office (stipulated in Article 9 of the association's bylaws) amended by unanimous vote; Mr Naoki Shikata (Faculty of Economics 2008) appointed by Chairman Hui as the fifth board member; and Mr Toshiyuki Kuwahara (a former executive at Fujitsu Limited) welcomed as the fourth supporting member.

The meeting closed with remarks by Gakushikai's Deputy Secretary Yasuo Kobori, who reported on his organization's activities and expressed his high expectations for KUJAA.

Next was a lecture by Mr Norio Wada, a KU alumnus who had served as the fifth president of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT). Entitled "How I Ended Up Where I Am Today", his talk centered on what had taken him to the top position at NTT and the changes that he had initiated in the organization in that role. He also offered advice on responding to change and shared his thoughts on past challenges faced by the telecom giant.

As with the 12th event, the lecture session was organized with a participatory format, or so-called "Junior Alumni formula", which involved a group discussion. Participants disregarded the boundaries of age and academic background to exchange ideas and express their views on the topics discussed by Mr Wada, and they took advantage of the subsequent Q&A session to ask a lot of questions.

The final segment of the gathering was a party, in which belly-dancing and juggling performances wowed the crowd and created a lively atmosphere that lasted through the remainder of the event.