- BACKGROUND OF THE PROGRAM:
The Association for Overseas Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Partnerships (AOTS) is an organization
for human resources development mainly in overseas countries to promote technical cooperation through
training, experts dispatch and other programs. Through those programs, we aim at contributing to the mutual economic growth of developing countries and Japan as well as enhancing friendly relations among those countries. AOTS was established in 1959 with the support of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (which is the present Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry: METI) as Japan’s first technical cooperation organization on a private sector basis. More than 200,000 individuals from 198 countries and regions have undergone our training in Japan, while the cumulative attendance at our overseas programs till the end of fiscal 2022 ex eded230,000. AOTS organizes and develops a various range of training courses based on requests from returning participants and industry in developing countries.
The Executive Program on Corporate Management (EPCM) is one of AOTS’s flagship and has been most
popular courses to learn corporate management concepts, skills, and their underlying ways of thinking since its establishment in 1983. Using the case method, this course is designed for corporate executives to utilize various functions necessary for corporate management and to improve practical business management skills to advance corporate management. - COUNTRY:
Please refer to “[Appendix 4] List of Target Countries and Regions” of this program outline.
Those who reside in the countries listed in the table and are recommended by AOTS’s Overseas Collaborative
Organization or able to apply from a Japanese company located in Japan may apply. - NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS:
20 participants - PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS:
(1) Participants should be, in principle, director-level senior executives who have overall responsibility for their
organizational management.
(2) Participants should be, in principle, 20 years old or above.
(3) Participants should have a sufficient working knowledge of English.
(4) Participants should be university graduates and/or have equivalent professional experience.
(5) Participants should be healthy enough to undergo an intensive training program in Japan.
(6) Participants should be residing in the developing countries and/or regions.
(7) Participants should not be students or armed forces personnel.
(8) Former participants of the subsidized training programs in Japan organized by AOTS are not entitled to apply
for any program which starts within six months (183 days) after they have returned home countries from
Japan.
Notes:
(1) Participants shall attend all the events in the curriculum provided for each management training program.
(2) Family members and business partners are not allowed to accompany participants on their journey in Japan.
(3) Participants shall not request AOTS to arrange, nor arrange by themselves, any additional programs, and
shall leave Japan and return to their home countries soon after the completion of the program.
Preferential Selection:
(1) Participants from Japanese companies, business partners of Japanese companies, companies planning to
deal with Japanese companies are most desirable. (In the case of applications from Japanese companies,
The Executive Program on Corporate Management [EPCM]
2
The Association for Overseas Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Partnerships [AOTS]
business partners of Japanese companies, companies planning to deal with Japanese companies, the priority
for selection becomes higher.)
(2) In the case of applications from non- Japanese affiliated companies that do not have any business relations
with Japanese companies, the priority for selection becomes lower.
(3) In addition, applications from companies with capital from developed countries will be given lower priority
in the selection process than applications from local companies that hold local capital.
(4) Those who work in the national government (agency) or the local government (agency) have lower priority
to participate in this training programs, since the programs are mainly targeted at the people working in the
companies/organizations in the private sector.
(5) The number of participants from the same host company in Japan or the same sending company from
overseas may be limited if there are more applicants than AOTS can accept.
OUTLINE OF THE PROGRAM:
- OBJECTIVES
The objective of the program is to enhance participants’ capabilities of corporate management, with utilizing
managerial functions, pursuing to upgrade the corporate management of their companies as executives. - KEY BENEFITS
(1) Using cases of Japanese and foreign companies, participants will think deeply how they would handle the
situations described in the case if they were the executives of those companies and acquire the perspective
and thought process of an executive through discussions among participants under the lead of the instructors.
(2) Participants will strengthen decision-making skills regarding specific management issues, from corporate
philosophy to corporate strategy, corporate ethics, marketing, and human resources management. - EDUCATIONAL METHODOLOGY
The most distinctive feature of EPCM is that all classes are conducted not through one-way lectures, but through
discussions among participants, using the so-called case method. Participants will read cases of Japanese and
foreign companies selected by the instructors. Participants will then discuss in small groups, how they would
think if they were the executives of those companies regarding the issues pointed out by the instructors, to
prepare for the class where all participants will participate. The instructors will begin the discussion as soon as
the class starts, and the participants, as executives of the company, engage in heated discussions to express their
opinions and approach the most appropriate decisions following the experienced instructors’ facilitation. All
EPCM participants who have experienced this case method have rated it as the best method for strengthening
the thinking and decision-making skills of executives.
Course Design (Steps of the Course)
[Step 1]
Participants will first disclose their own images of “Japanese Management” and develop an agreeable definition
of “Japanese-style Management”. Then, the instructor will lead the class discussion to examine how it differs
from Management Style of Non-Japanese companies.
[Step 2]
Participants will deepen their understanding of corporate management through discussions of cases via
examining various managerial functions in an organization such as corporate philosophy, business ethics,
marketing, finance, strategy, and so on. The company visits will help participants see actual management
practices at Japanese companies and provide opportunities to exchange their views with Japanese company
executives.
[Step 3]
Through discussions with instructors and corporate executives, participants will reaffirm their roles as
executives for the advancement of management. On the final day, participants will present their own ideas on
the “Potential of Japanese-style management” based on group discussions.
The Executive Program on Corporate Management [EPCM]
3
The Association for Overseas Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Partnerships [AOTS]
The typical daily schedule consists of a three-hour morning session and a three-hour afternoon session.
Group Discussion may take place in the evening. Please see the Tentative Schedule for further details. - DURATION
Wednesday 24 July – Tuesday 6 August 2024 (14 days) - LANGUAGE
All lectures, discussions, and company visits will be conducted in English or Japanese with translation into
English. The program documents and training materials will be prepared in English. - PROGRAM DIRECTOR
ITO Akitoshi, Ph.D
Professor of Finance, Faculty of Business Administration
Nanzan University
Dr. Ito obtained a BA from the University of Tokyo, an MBA from Keio University, and a PhD in Finance from
the University of Western Ontario (Ivey Business School). He has been doing research and teaching at
Hitotsubashi University Business School since 2007 to 2023 before taking on his current position. His research
interests include corporate finance, corporate governance, SDGs, disclosure, and company valuation. He
published many articles in major academic journals. He was also active about developing in-company training
programs for many companies and governments.
