WGSA professor Dolan Daniel commented on Waseda University’s Waseda Vision 150 as a professional of communication.
Communication and Engagement to Promote Global Leaders for Waseda University
How much do you know about Waseda Vision 150?
This vision is a critically important set of goals and strategies for accomplishing a three-part
mission: (1) “Independence of Scholarship—The Cornerstone of our Contribution to the World,”
(2) “Practical Application of Scholarship: Ways and Means of Contributing to the World,” and
(3) “Fostering of Good Citizens—People Who Contribute to the World.”
Waseda Vision 150 includes four guiding visions and 13 core strategies for achieving these four
visions by 2032, which marks 150 years since the founding of the university in 1882.
How to Develop Global Leaders?
Vision 3 of Waseda Vision 150 is “Graduates who will contribute to the public good as global
leaders.” But how should Waseda university develop global leaders? We can get some guidance
on this question from Waseda Vision 150 core strategies.
Core strategy 2 of Waseda Vision 150 is “Reconstruction of the Education System to Nurture
Global Leaders,” which includes promotion of study abroad opportunities for every Waseda
student, and cultivation of “true liberal arts skills” such as communication and IT capabilities.
Waseda president Aiji Tanaka clarifies these global leadership priorities in his President’s
message regarding Waseda Vision 150 as “(1) Research, (2) Education, and (3) Engagement at
both the global and local levels.” He adds that intellectual resilience and passion are keys to
promoting global leadership.
Communication and Engagement: The Engines of Global Leadership
We can see in the Waseda Vision 150 goals and in President Tanaka’s message a focus on
passionate communication and strategic engagement. My own studies and writings about
leadership development support this idea.
In my October 2020 article titled “Bring on the Engagers: A New Approach to Leadership
Development” I explain how our old model of effective leadership is in need of re-thinking.
I propose a move from a focus on leaders to a focus on engagers, because whereas leaders might
be out in front of followers, “engagers are inclusive, passionate, strategic, ethical and caring
storytellers and connectors of people, ideas and possibilities.” This focus on strategic, honest,
inclusive, and passionate storytelling points us to the centrality of effective communication to global
leadership.
Think of it this way: Communication is how we engage with other people, so effective leadership is
fundamentally about effective communication. The quality of our communication impacts the quality
of our engagement, which impacts the quality of leadership.
Communication Leadership Development Opportunities for Waseda Students
Study Abroad
One path for gaining global leadership skills is for Waseda students to study abroad as proposed
in the Waseda Vision 150 strategies. Simply by exposure to other ways of thinking and acting
through international learning experiences Waseda students can gain the flexibility, caring
orientation, creativity, and engagement skills required for global leadership. Waseda Vision 150
sets as a numerical target 100 percent of Waseda students experiencing study abroad by 2032.
Communication Leadership Certificate
Another path for gaining global leadership skills is for Waseda students with exceptional
ambition and English language skills to study Communication Leadership at a program overseas
such as the Communication Leadership (CommLead) certificate program at the University of
Washington (UW), where I earned my Ph.D. CommLead currently offers a three-quarter, 12-
credit Certificate in Leadership in Emerging Technologies and Trends, and a three-quarter
Certificate in Storytelling and Content Strategy. I am discussing with UW CommLead the
possibility of designing shorter-term certificates—for example, certificates that can be completed
in one quarter—that would be designed to meet the unique learning needs of Waseda students.
One feature of this customization would be to offer Waseda students the option of online
learning, UW campus learning, or a hybrid option that combines online and on-campus learning.
Waseda students who earn a communication leadership certificate from a world-class university
such as the UW would not only gain critically valuable skills for their professional careers, they
also would be models that demonstrate to the world the successful implementation of the Waseda
150 global leadership goals.
Global Leadership Development Requires Strategic Effort and Long-Term Commitment
It will not be easy to meet the global leadership goals of Waseda Vision 150 but it is possible.
Effective global leadership development for Waseda university students requires bold,
passionate, and strategically coordinated commitment by all Waseda leaders, professors, and
staff combined with awareness, ambition, and dedication by Waseda students.
Global vision + Strategic communication + Passionate engagement = Global leadership.
Together we can do this.
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Daniel Dolan is Professor of Professional Communication, Waseda Graduate School of
Accountancy.
