On December 15, President and CEO of Nissan Motor Corporation, Makoto Uchida, visited Waseda University to give a seminar to students about the company, its ongoing innovations and long-term vision. This event was organized by Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) as part of their “University Campus Visiting Lecturers Series 2022” to give students the opportunity to hear directly from top executives of companies in the automobile/manufacturing industries about the latest cutting-edge technologies and future direction of the field.

Nissan Z, X-Trial, Sakura, and Ariya (from foreground to background)

Outside the Masaru Ibuka Auditorium where the seminar was held, Nissan parked four of its car models for students to take a closer look. Many students, a majority car enthusiasts interested in working in the automobile industry, took the chance to check out the cars, sit in the driver’s seat and talk with Nissan representatives. Among the models was the all-electric car “Sakura,” which won the 2022-2023 Japan Car of the Year award and the Kei Car of the Year award. There was also a sports car “Nissan Z,” a hybrid SUV “X-Trial” and an all-electric SUV “Ariya” on display.

CEO Uchida with “Sakura”, the 2022-2023 Japan car of the year

A fourth-year student on the scene commented, “My dad really likes Nissan and we had two to three Nissan cars for quite a long period of time. Nissan is continuously developing new electric car models and producing sports cars like the Z and GT-R series that car enthusiasts like myself would like.”

An international student from China, when asked about popular car brands back home, said, “Up till a few years ago, cars that used gasoline, or German-made cars, were quite popular in my country. But recently, electric vehicles are gaining popularity. Brands like BYD and Tesla are selling well.” Another international student studying about motor-modelling and batteries added, “The all-electric cars have zero emission,” an important point for buyers who are looking for more eco-friendly options.

In the auditorium, the seminar opened with a short video introducing Nissan and its motto “Do what others don’t dare to do.” CEO Uchida then took the podium to address the students. He gave a self-introduction, mentioning how he spent part of his childhood in Egypt, Osaka, and Malaysia, before moving to Kyoto for university. He spoke about the history of cars in Japan, the changing trends in the industry, the issues that arise from automobile vehicles, such as traffic accidents and environmental pollution, and what Nissan as a company is doing to address them in innovative ways. For example, he mentioned that they have advanced Driver Assist Technologies that can reduce the likelihood of collisions, and electric vehicles out in the market that are more environmentally friendly than the traditional gasoline cars.

Uchida also talked about Nissan’s company culture and their efforts to create a work environment that promotes Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity for their staff. Nissan has employees from over 100 countries in the world and does business in more than 170 areas worldwide. Because of that, it is necessary for them to collaborate with people from various backgrounds and cultures. Despite being located domestically, the Japanese headquarters and branches possess a global environment with more than 10% of its staff being non-Japanese. In addition, more than 10.3% of the management-level positions are held by women, way above the 3.9% average of the industry. “Diversity is Nissan’s greatest strength,” said CEO Uchida . To this, he reiterated the importance of having employees with a variety of opinions and views, as that brings in new innovations that can meet the changing and diverse needs of the global society. Drawing out the uniqueness and potential of each individual, he commented, will be a huge asset to the company, and allow Nissan to bring more value to the world.

“Diversity is Nissan’s greatest strength”

After the presentation, there with a casual question and answer session with CEO Uchida and three Waseda graduates currently working in Nissan. Students in the audience were invited to ask questions and the four panelists took turns to answer. One of the questions was about the company’s work environment. Takahashi, who graduated from the Graduate School of Science and Engineering, answered that the environment they work in is comfortable and ideal for brainstorming solutions. Aoki, a SILS graduate who is working in the Public Relations department said that when she first entered the company, she was surprised that people were addressing each other without titles, and she couldn’t tell who the bosses were. This is quite uncommon for Japanese companies due to the traditional hierarchical culture. Additionally, about half of the people in her office are from overseas and English is the main language of communication.

When asked about the kind of talents he is looking for to work at Nissan, CEO Uchida replied, “It is the people who move the company. That is why I want Nissan to continue to be a company that is rich in diversity and respects the value of individuals. I hope students will have a variety of interests while they are young, and to not just focus on one thing but to have a forward-looking view of the big picture.”

Waseda University will continue to arrange opportunities, such as this seminar, to provide our students with the chance to interact directly with companies and organizations to gain insight useful for their studies and future career development.

*Note: The quotes used in this article are a translation of the original Japanese.