{"id":15931,"date":"2026-05-15T16:32:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T07:32:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/fcom\/soc\/?p=15931"},"modified":"2026-05-15T16:32:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T07:32:11","slug":"gmp%e5%ad%a6%e7%94%9f%e3%81%8c%e6%97%a9%e7%a8%b2%e7%94%b0%e3%81%ae%e3%82%aa%e3%83%bc%e3%83%97%e3%83%b3%e3%82%ad%e3%83%a3%e3%83%b3%e3%83%91%e3%82%b9%e3%81%a7%e3%83%97%e3%83%ac%e3%82%bc%e3%83%b3-2-3-2-9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/fcom\/soc\/news\/15931","title":{"rendered":"GMP Launches Academic Year 2026 with Kickoff Forum"},"content":{"rendered":"

The GMP Kickoff Forum, the first GMP Forum of the 2026 academic year, was held on Tuesday, April 28, in Room 302 of Building 3. Bringing together newly admitted third-year GMP students and continuing fourth-year members, the forum provided a meaningful opportunity for participants to share the program\u2019s vision and goals for the year ahead while strengthening their commitment to upcoming GMP activities. During the networking session in the latter half of the event, students also deepened their connections across year levels and zemi groups.<\/p>\n

\u25b6Opening Remarks by Professor Nakaide<\/h4>\n

At the beginning of the forum, GMP Director Professor Nakaide delivered encouraging remarks to the students. Emphasizing the importance of making the most of valuable experiences unique to the GMP, such as monthly forums and overseas study programs, Professor Nakaide encouraged students to use these experiences as opportunities for personal growth while fully enjoying their involvement in the GMP community. The warm message inspired students to approach the coming year with renewed motivation and heightened their anticipation for future GMP activities.<\/p>\n

\u25b6Presentation Skills Workshop by Professor Kate Elwood<\/h4>\n

Next, Professor Kate Elwood of the School of Commerce gave a lecture on effective presentation skills. In addition to covering the fundamentals of slide design and structure, the session highlighted the importance of nonverbal communication, including eye contact and voice projection, as well as practical English expressions for handling Q&A sessions.<\/p>\n

One particularly memorable point was the idea of aiming to deliver presentations so engaging that audience members feel compelled to share what they heard with others. This audience-centered approach to creating presentations that truly resonate with listeners gave students valuable insights into effective communication.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u25b6GMP Orientation by the Student Committee Chair and Vice Chair<\/h4>\n

The Chair and Vice Chair of the GMP Student Committee (SC) then introduced the GMP\u2019s mission and key activities. After revisiting the mission of the program and the type of globally minded talent it aims to cultivate, they shared their expectations for the skills students should develop through future activities. In particular, they emphasized the importance of developing the ability to confidently deliver logical presentations in English and respond effectively to questions during discussions. The session further strengthened students\u2019 motivation to actively engage in GMP activities.<\/p>\n

\u25b6Activity Report on Waseda JBCC 2026 by Professor Lim and Participating Students<\/h4>\n

The forum also featured a report on the Waseda Japan Business Case Competition (Waseda JBCC) 2026, held in April 2026. The competition is a highly competitive event in which participants analyze real-world business challenges and present business proposals entirely in English.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Students who represented Waseda University and achieved an impressive second-place finish reflected on the experience, stating that although the competition was far from easy, it was a valuable opportunity to gain confidence in communicating in English. They also advised younger students that thoroughly mastering the foundational knowledge gained through School of Commerce classes and GMP activities becomes a major advantage in practical competitions.<\/p>\n

Professor Lim, who observed the presentations at the competition venue, also provided objective feedback on each team\u2019s performance and offered concrete suggestions for further improvement.<\/p>\n

\u25b6Introduction to Upcoming GMP Events by Professors Yago and Hirota<\/h4>\n

Professor Yago introduced details of the Singapore study trip scheduled for this September. While reviewing footage from a previous study trip, Professor Yago shared information about the diverse activities planned for the trip, including company visits, interuniversity exchanges, and alumni networking events. Students expressed great enthusiasm and anticipation for the upcoming trip.<\/p>\n

Professor Hirota then introduced the Global Enterprise & Management Student Summit (GEMS), scheduled to be held at Waseda University this August. Organized in collaboration with Sungkyunkwan University (South Korea) and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Hong Kong), the program will provide students with an excellent opportunity to develop global perspectives by working in multinational teams to solve real-world challenges.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The organizers expressed their hope that many students will take full advantage of these opportunities for growth and expand their international networks.<\/p>\n

\u25b6Networking Session<\/h4>\n

During the networking session in the second half of the forum, students participated in discussions on two themes.<\/p>\n

The first discussion focused on \u201cskills students hope to develop through GMP activities.\u201d Students shared enthusiastic ideas and goals, such as improving their English-speaking abilities and gaining broader perspectives through interaction with students from diverse academic backgrounds.<\/p>\n

The second discussion centered on \u201cwhat GMP should organize for the Waseda Festival.\u201d Conducted entirely in English, the discussion generated a wide range of creative and internationally oriented ideas, including proposals for globally themed activities and events featuring invited guest speakers. The lively exchange of ideas created an energetic atmosphere throughout the venue.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Through the forum, students gained a clearer understanding of GMP activities and envisioned how they hope to grow through the program. In addition to acquiring practical insights into presentation and communication skills, participants further strengthened their motivation for future activities. The forum also provided a valuable opportunity for students to deepen connections with peers across zemi groups as they embark on another year of GMP activities together.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The GMP Kickoff Forum, the first GMP Forum of the 2026 academic year, was held on Tuesday, April 28, in Room 3 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":15883,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[108],"class_list":["post-15931","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-gmp-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/fcom\/soc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15931","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/fcom\/soc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/fcom\/soc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/fcom\/soc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/fcom\/soc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15931"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/fcom\/soc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15931\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15932,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/fcom\/soc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15931\/revisions\/15932"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/fcom\/soc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15883"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/fcom\/soc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15931"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/fcom\/soc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15931"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/fcom\/soc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15931"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}