News & Highlights

  • January 2025
  • Immersive Field Course

The Global Classroom: Student Immersion in Japan

The Japan Immersive Field Course (IFC) was launched in 2012 in response to the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011. Over the years, the program has evolved alongside the progress of reconstruction efforts in the disaster-affected areas. While the main program is now held in Tokyo, the group continues to visit the Tohoku region on weekends to maintain a meaningful connection with the area. This year, Professor Ramon Casadesus-Masanell led 43 students to Japan for the 12th Japan IFC, a 10-day immersive experience themed “Exploring Japan's Innovation Ecosystem.” During their time in Japan, the students participated in team-based consulting projects and attended a venture capital panel session in Tokyo. In Tohoku, they met local social entrepreneurs, engaged with the Mayor of Onagawa, and visited Tohoku University to connect with deep-tech companies and explore cutting-edge innovations. Beyond these academic and professional activities, the students also experienced both traditional and modern Japanese culture through various immersive activities. The program provided an enjoyable and rewarding experience, fostering a deeper understanding of Japan's innovation landscape and cultural richness.
  • OCTOBER 2024
  • EVENT

HBS MBA Information Session in Tokyo

On October 5, the HBS Japan Research Center hosted an engaging in-person MBA information session for prospective applicants, in collaboration with the MBA Admissions Office. The event welcomed over 100 attendees, offering them the unique opportunity to gain insights directly from a panel of local alumni. The panelists shared their experiences about the transformative MBA program, life at HBS, and the financial aid resources available to students. The session served as an invaluable platform for attendees to explore the possibilities of an HBS MBA and connect with both alumni and fellow prospective applicants.
  • JUNE 2024
  • FACULTY IMMERSION

Faculty Immersion in Japan

In June 2024, 33 HBS faculty traveled from Boston to Tokyo and Kyoto for a week-long faculty immersion. The group visited various companies, including startups, companies with long histories, and innovative enterprises, broadening their insights into Japan. They also held a Global Research Symposium and Reception in Tokyo, which was joined by Dean Srikant M. Datar. Five inspiring faculty presented their current research in areas ranging from the life sciences and time management to digital innovation and generative AI. More than 100 company executives and HBS alumni attended the event, and the faculty enjoyed engaging with them at the reception. The group also enjoyed several cultural experiences. The Japan Research Center extends heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supported making this a memorable and enriching experience for the faculty.
  • NOVEMBER 2023
  • EVENT

In-Person Event: Reskilling in the Age of AI by HBS Professor Raffaella Sadun

The Japan Research Center, in collaboration with Academyhills, hosted an in-person event featuring Professor Raffaella Sadun. During the event, Professor Sadun delved into the emerging evidence from the Digital Reskilling Lab at HBS. She focused on pivotal questions such as “What is the actual demand for reskilling among managers and workers?” “How should reskilling initiatives be deployed in organizations?” or “How do we get employees to participate in reskilling?”. The participants, including HBS alums and friends, found great value in the vibrant discussion led by Professor Sadun.

New Research on the Region

  • January 2025
  • Teaching Material

Knowledge Transfer: Toyota, NUMMI, and GM

By: Willy Shih

Teaching Plan for HBS Case No. 625-003. New United Motors Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI) was a joint venture between Toyota and General Motors. It was an opportunity for GM to learn about the Toyota Production System, which was quite different from the mass production processes American automakers used at the time. It was also an opportunity for Toyota to learn how to do business in the U.S. GM contributed its shuttered Fremont Assembly plant, and Toyota agreed to manage it. The plant had a tumultuous history, with numerous wildcat strikes and constant bickering between GM management and the United Autoworkers. The quality of vehicles produced there was the worst in GM. Costs were high, and many cars arrived at the end of the assembly line inoperable and had to be towed away for repairs. Toyota hired mostly former GM workers, including well-known plant militants and activists. It taught workers TPS, but more importantly it installed a culture that was the essential "software" that enabled TPS to work. Toyota transformed it to become the most productive auto assembly plant in the U.S., with quality comparable to its Japanese factories. The case is based on interviews with key Toyota leaders who were involved in the transformation. It goes to the heart of the importance of organizational culture. The case issue is how should GM take the knowledge that it gained from embedding its employees at NUMMI and transfer it to other parts of its operations.

  • July 2024
  • Case

Wizards of the Coast and Magic: The Rebounding

By: Boris Groysberg and Tom Quinn

This case traces the history and growth of the Magic: The Gathering trading card game. From its development in 1993 by tiny studio Wizards of the Coast, to Wizards’ acquisition by toy giant Hasbro in 1999, to its evolution into a billion-dollar brand in 2023, executives and game designers at Wizards had tweaked Magic’s winning formula. Its growth trajectory had been interrupted for long stretches by stagnant sales plateaus, and as the company entered 2024, executives gathered to plot how to grow the brand further.

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