Director KANG SoHyun from PMI Asia Pacific and Delegation Pay a Courtesy Visit – Discussions on Developing Project Management Talent through International Platforms

On March 14, Regional Managing Director KANG SoHyun and Partner Success Manager OKUHARA Osamu from the Asia Pacific region of the Project Management Institute (PMI) visited Okayama University and paid a courtesy call on President NASU Yasutomo. From Okayama University, Director HORI Kakuro, Division of Design, Manufacture and Social Infrastructure, Department of Comprehensive Technical Solutions; Technical Expert Staff NAKAMURA Yuri, Department of Comprehensive Technical Solutions; and Director KOMOTO Masanori, Research Cooperation Division, Research and Innovation Strategy Department (at that time) attended the meeting.

This visit by PMI Asia Pacific was arranged based on the long-standing collaboration between PMI Japan Chapter — PMI’s branch in Japan — and Okayama University. Since FY2021, they have partnered on various initiatives including the special sponsorship of the "Okayama University SDGs Innovation Award," part of the domestic "PM Award" system recognizing excellent projects practiced by Japanese companies and organizations. Additionally, they have cooperated on foundational project management (PM) training for Technical Staff aimed at enhancing their skills, held by the Department of Comprehensive Technical Solutions, one of the organizations under the university’s Technology Coordination Headquarters.

During the meeting, Director Kang and President Nasu exchanged views on the current state of higher education in Japan and globally, as well as on project management and human resource development. They reaffirmed the importance of acquiring PM skills among faculty, staff, and students at the university, and reached consensus on future collaboration directions.

Going forward, PMI Asia Pacific will join the existing partnership between Okayama University and PMI Japan Chapter to form a three-party collaboration. They will also consider cooperation on overseas training programs and support for acquiring project management certifications such as "PMP" and "CAPM."

Regarding this courtesy visit, PhD. SATO Norito (Director, Department of Comprehensive Technical Solutions; Vice President; Vice Executive Director and Senior URA) commented:
"Okayama University and PMI Japan Chapter have co-created and collaborated on various academic initiatives, and we hope to expand our efforts with a global perspective. Project management is effective in all fields—not only in research and development but also in education, such as earning credits through lectures and obtaining degrees within standard timeframes. We aim to strengthen our collaboration with PMI Asia Pacific to foster knowledge workers who can create new value from knowledge and lead social transformation by learning diverse PM practices worldwide."

Okayama University will continue to strive as a research university that achieves social transformation in collaboration with various stakeholders, aiming to realize its Long-term Vision 2050: "A Research University that Cocreates the Future for the Region and the Earth and Contributes to Global Innovation" Please look forward to Okayama University’s ongoing challenges as a regional core and distinctive research university.

○Comment from President NASU Yasutomo
"I am very pleased with Director Kang’s visit. While I have met Director Kang several times at the 'PM Award' ceremony, this was our first opportunity to actively exchange views on the importance and future of project management human resources in universities. At Okayama University, we promote the 'advancement' of staff as a research-first university. In particular, the 'Program for Forming Japan’s Peak Research Universities (J-PEAKS) ' has driven remarkable progress in this area. Moreover, at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Working Group on Management and Human Resources Related to Research and Development Innovation, PhD. Sato (Vice President, Vice Executive Director and Senior URA) introduced the importance of PM human resources, which has been incorporated into the working group’s guidelines.

We intend to deepen collaboration with PMI Asia Pacific to further promote the spread, establishment, and advancement of PM human resources who support Japan’s science, technology, and innovation. We appreciate your support for Okayama University’s new challenge in nurturing talent to lead social transformation."

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"Please note that this content was translated by a machine and may contain errors."