Final Presentation of the "Business Communication" class(Monday, July 7)

In the first semester of 2025, the Business Communication class was offered with 14 Japanese students and 12 international students enrolled. Through project-based learning, students developed business communication skills essential for working in Japanese companies and overseas Japanese-affiliated firms by tackling real-world corporate challenges.

Project-Based Learning Connected to Real Business
Students worked on actual issues faced by companies in Ibaraki Prefecture, conducting research and pilot studies to propose practical solutions. On Monday, July 7, 2025, the final presentation was held with the participation of executives from four partner companies: Sofnars, Sanwa Foods, Life Support Yamano, and Tsukuba Foods.

Project Highlights and Outcomes
Sofnars: Research on Seminar Search Site Needs
The challenge was to create a website that allows users to search for various seminars held in Ibaraki Prefecture. Two student groups conducted needs assessments targeting international students at Ibaraki University and foreign residents in the region.
Findings revealed that, rather than job-hunting seminars, there was a stronger interest in seminars focused on Japanese language communication, cultural exchange, and daily life support—highlighting new needs beyond the company’s initial expectations.

Sanwa Foods: Improving Communication with Technical Interns
The challenge was to enhance communication between technical interns and Japanese employees. With support from a Filipino spouse of a university faculty member, the students created a Tagalog-language survey and collected responses from all interns.
While interns expressed a desire to communicate in Japanese, they also reported anxiety about making mistakes, which creates psychological barriers. Based on these insights, students proposed ways for Japanese staff to better engage with interns and suggested a student-led event to foster interaction. The company responded positively and is moving forward with the event.

Life Support Yamano: Exploring an Online Part-Time Job Platform
The project focused on building an online platform connecting Indonesian university students with Japanese small and medium-sized enterprises. Surveys were conducted with both companies and universities, revealing mutual interest and alignment in the types of jobs offered and desired.
The students successfully presented data supporting the feasibility of such a platform.

Tsukuba Foods: Assessing Employee Engagement with Corporate Philosophy
The challenge was to determine whether employees resonate with the company’s philosophy, vision, and mission. The survey showed that while employees understood the concepts, emotional engagement was limited.
The company president appreciated the insights, noting, “These are voices we couldn’t have heard internally,” and expressed interest in further exploring ways to foster deeper employee connection.

Student Reflections and Future Outlook
In this first implementation of the Business Communication class, Japanese and international students collaborated to address real-world business challenges through project-based learning.
Student feedback included:

“I was able to learn from diverse perspectives and gained many new insights.”
“We built relationships that go beyond casual friendships—working together toward a shared goal.”
Many students found great value in multicultural collaboration and teamwork.

This initiative is planned to continue in future academic years. Stay tuned for further developments!