Fifteen incumbent presidents of Philippines National Universities visited Japan from the 22^nd of January through the 28^th of January, 2017, as a study visit of the Presidential Leadership Program in the Philippine Higher Education Career System (Phil-HECS), which was organized by Commission on Higher Education (CHED) with Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP). Based on the request of CHED, JICA-GRIPS organized one-week study program as one of the activities of LEADING Asia Project (Leadership Enhancement & Administrative Development for Innovative Governance in Asia).

Main purposes of this academic visit program to Japan were (1) to benchmark their knowledge and activities on industrial human resources development to those of higher education institutions in Japan and, (2) to supplement and update the participants’ leadership. In order to achieve these goals, this one-week study program was designed as a combination of the following three elements;

-       lectures & discussions on theories, especially on the Knowledge Management and leadership

-       site visits to universities in Japan

-       dialogues with presidents of Japanese universities

Since the theoretic background of the LEADING Asia Project is the Knowledge Creation/Management theory founded by Professor Emeritus Ikujiro Nonaka, Hitotsubashi University, we held some lectures and discussions on the Knowledge Creation/Management theory and wise leaders (Phronetic Leadership). Prof. Ryoko Toyama, Graduate School of Strategic Management of Chuo University, gave lectures on the Knowledge-based Management and the Phronetic Leadership. Dr. Katsuhiro Umemoto, Professor Emeritus of Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) gave a lecture on Knowledge Management for university administration.

The lecture by Prof. Toyama　　              　　　　　The lecture by Prof. Umemoto

All the participants actively engaged in discussions during the lectures. Their discussions were so active that the lecturers were interrupted several times during their lectures.

They have visited two universities besides GRIPS. One is Toyohashi University of Technology (TUT) at Toyohashi city, Aichi prefecture. The other is Institute of Technologist (IOT) at Gyoda city, Saitama prefecture.

At TUT

TUT is a national university who are accepting graduate students from National Institutes of Technology (KOSEN colleges). TUT balances their theoretical education and the practical education.

Tour in TUT

Their internship program and the collaboration with the industries are also one of TUT’s unique features. Their laboratories, facilities and activities closely related to the real industries were impressive to the Philippine participants.

On the other hand, IOT is a private university established by the strong support by the industries.

At IOT

IOT emphasizes the importance of practical education, and its long term internship program is also one of the main features of IOT. In its campus, we could find a lots of hands-on products, small wooden buildings and even concrete structures constructed by the students. It was also inspiring for the participants.

Tour in IOT

During the site visits, we had chances to have dialogues with Prof. Takashi Onishi, President of TUT, and Prof. Akira Akamatsu, President of IOT.

Dialogue with President Onishi(TUT)　    Dialogue with President Akamatsu(IOT)　　　

In GRIPS they had a dialogue with Prof. Takashi Shiraishi, President of GRIPS.

Dialogue with President Shiraishi(GRIPS)

Those dialogues with the Japanese university presidents were very informative and inspiring for all of the Philippine participants.

At the last day of the one-week program, we had a completion ceremony at GRIPS. It was our honor to have two special guests for the ceremony. One special guest was Mr. Eduardo M.R. Menez, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in Tokyo, and the other was Mr. Antonio D. Kalaw, Jr., President of DAP, who had stayed in Tokyo for his another mission.

Certificates for the study visit were awarded to the fifteen participants as well as to the three officers from CHED and DAP from Prof. Kiyotaka Yokomichi, Ｖice-Ｐresident of GRIPS, and the one-week study program was completed safely.