Kyoto University Junior Alumni Association holds 12th Meeting and Lecture (13 June 2015)

The Kyoto University Junior Alumni Association (KUJAA) held its 12th meeting with 38 participants (23 men and 15 women) including alumni aged 45 years or younger and guests. KUJAA was established in March 2013 with Mr Canmy Hui, a 2006 graduate of the Graduate School of Economics, as the association's first chairperson. The 12th meeting, co-hosted by Gakushikai, included a lecture session held in Osaka for the first time. Mr Takahiro Matsunari (Faculty of Science 2004), and Ms Wang Yunche (Graduate School of Economics 2006), both of whom joined the board of directors of KUJAA in November 2014, took the lead in planning this event.

The meeting opened with a briefing by Mr Hui, Chair of KUJAA, on the purpose of the association, history of these meetings, and his vision regarding future directions for KUJAA activities. Mr Yasuo Kobori, Deputy Secretary of Gakushikai, introduced the organization's activities and expressed his high expectations for KUJAA.

Next, Visiting Associate Professor Tetsufumi Takimoto from the Office of Society-Academia Collaboration for Innovation delivered a lecture entitled "Team Approach for Transformation" in which he discussed how society will undergo transformation, how people should adapt their ways of working according to such changes, and the relevance of a "team approach" concept in that process. He also emphasized the importance of the kinds of relationships that are fostered by alumni associations.

This meeting was organized with a participatory format, or so-called "Junior Alumni formula". Accordingly, a group discussion session followed the lecture. Inspired by ideas presented in the lecture, participants transcended the boundaries of age and academic background to exchange ideas and express their views on a variety of topics, ranging from discussion of their everyday activities through thoughts about the transformation process. In the Q&A session, Mr Takimoto and participants engaged in lively, in-depth discussion of the topic.

Further discussion took place during the closing reception before a bingo game wrapped up the meeting on a high note, with some participants winning prizes related to the lecture, such as books written by Mr Takimoto, and local specialties of Osaka.