Chairman Ishiguro Gives Lecture at Interact Club in Yasuda Gakuen Junior & Senior High School

April 2024

On April 26, Friday, 2024, Chairman Ishiguro gave a lecture themed “Let’s contribute to Japan’s economic growth and prosperity through global business,” at Yasuda Gakuen Junior & Senior High School, Tokyo. He spoke about the importance of international business and the roles of JETRO, and important ideas when they consider their careers.

After the lecture, students asked questions such as, “How should I prepare myself to take the first step towards action?” “What do you keep in mind to gain a sense of responsibility and a broader perspective?” In response, Chairman Ishiguro told them how important it is to always ask themselves if they are OK with who they are now, to ponder what they want to do, and to take action on their own.

In addition, based on his own experiences such as overseas business trips, he urged students to visit emerging countries like India and Bangladesh and to experience firsthand the changes in economic growth and its impact.

After the lecture, students gave feedbacks such as: “I first heard about JETRO and learned that they contribute to the Japanese economy by conducting wide range of support activities such as overseas market research, exports of Japanese agricultural and fishery products, support to Japanese SMEs for overseas business expansion, and encouraging foreign governments to create business environment with easier access for Japanese SMEs.” “I have become interested in trade and economy.” “I want to visit and see the actual conditions of emerging countries.” “I hope to develop interests in a variety of topics and skills to think things on my own.” “I would like to cherish connections with others.”

The lecture was part of an extracurricular activity, “Interact Club” at school for students to foster global mindset through lectures given by world-renowned people such as entrepreneurs and university professors. The students took the initiative in preparing and organizing the lecture.

JETRO will continue its efforts to help the next generation develop interest in global business and its importance, and to help them gain global perspectives that will lead to further development of global business.