Waseda × Dentsu Inc. Host “Future Studies: 200 Minutes of Inspiration for the Future” for the Fourth GMP Forum in 2025

On Tuesday, October 28, 2025, the fourth GMP Forum of the 2025 academic year, titled “Waseda × Dentsu Inc. Future Studies: 200 Minutes of Inspiration for the Future,” was held at Ono Memorial Auditorium on the Waseda University campus.

This forum featured a special joint lecture co-organized by the GMP, School of Commerce, Waseda University, and Dentsu Inc. Under the theme of “Future Studies,” the 200-minute session invited participants to reflect deeply on how they perceive the future and what kind of future they wish to create for themselves, offering fresh perspectives beyond conventional approaches to thinking about the future.

Exploring the Foundations of “Future Studies”

The first half of the forum consisted of an input session designed to provide a conceptual foundation for engaging with future studies. Representatives from Dentsu Inc. introduced the company’s profile and shared examples of past projects, helping participants understand both why Dentsu Inc. chose to pursue a “Future Studies” initiative at Waseda University and why this collaboration is particularly meaningful today.

Speakers emphasized that Dentsu Inc.’s commitment to future studies is rooted in its founder’s enduring aspiration to “make society better.” Building on this idea, Ms. Fukushima, a graduate of Waseda University, delivered a passionate talk on the university’s long-standing “spirit of enterprising independence,” a phrase enshrined in the university anthem. She noted that Waseda University was not established to train government bureaucrats, but was founded on the vision of Shigenobu Okuma. This spirit, she argued, continues to live on among today’s students. Her message that Waseda students, precisely because of who they are, have a special role to play in engaging with and shaping the future left a strong impression on the audience.

From “Issue-Driven” to “Vision-Driven” Thinking

Participants also learned a fresh approach to shaping the future. Traditional “issue-driven” thinking starts from current problems and aims to move from negative to neutral, or from minus to zero. In contrast, the forum introduced a “vision-driven” approach, which is increasingly essential in today’s rapidly changing world. Rather than predicting the future, this mindset emphasizes actively creating it, working backward from a desired vision to generate positive value.

Changes such as Japan’s declining population or global warming are often framed negatively. However, speakers challenged participants to view these trends as potential opportunities from a different perspective, an idea that many found eye-opening.

Experiencing a Creative Session in Practice

In the second half of the forum, participants took part in a simulated creative session modeled on practices used at Dentsu Inc. Students joined those on stage, and the entire audience engaged interactively in generating ideas and sharing outputs, collectively imagining different visions of the future.

The theme of the creative session was “What would make Japan an exciting, inspiring society?” The discussion began by identifying everyday frustrations. Participants cited crowded commuter trains, a culture that discourages failure, and the fear of deviating from conventional life paths. A particularly common sentiment among students was boredom with what felt like a rigid and repetitive daily routine.

The session then shifted to imagining “future scenes we want to see.” Ideas ranged from commuter trains that play different music depending on the car to lifestyles less bound by minute-by-minute schedules, and even subscription-based living arrangements that allow people to change where they live. As ideas were exchanged, the atmosphere grew increasingly energetic and inspiring.

Adding to the experience, an art director visually captured the discussion in real time through graphic recording, illustrating key ideas with drawings and diagrams. The engaging visuals held the audience’s attention and made the session visually engaging as well.

Looking Ahead with Optimism

This forum was the result of nearly two months of preparation by GMP student organizers, who regularly visited Dentsu Inc.’s offices and worked closely with members of the Dentsu Future Business Creation Lab to bring the event to life.

Reflecting on the experience, Sayaka Sakaida, a third-year GMP student, noted that she had previously felt a vague sense of anxiety about an unpredictable future. Through the forum itself and preparatory meetings with Dentsu Inc. staff, that perspective shifted toward a more positive outlook, captured in the thought: “This is the future I want to see, so this is what I can do now.” In an era marked by uncertainty, the opportunity to engage with future studies proved both meaningful and empowering.

In addition, on behalf of all participating students, she expressed heartfelt gratitude to everyone at Dentsu Inc. for respecting their ideas from the planning stage onward and for making this outstanding forum possible.