Aoyama Gakuin's MBA Program Launches the 5th Term of the 'Sustainability Management Course'

Sustainability Management Course (https://www.aoyamabs.jp/professionalprograms)
Aoyama Gakuin University Graduate School of International Management (Campus: Shibuya Ward, Tokyo; Dean: Takamichi Hosoda; commonly known as Aoyama Business School, hereafter 'ABS') will launch the 5th term of its 'Sustainability Management Course' in September 2026. This is a certificate program that trains experts and sustainability officers capable of formulating corporate strategies and business plans incorporating sustainability. In the 5th term, while maintaining the systematic and scientific curriculum structure as before, we have newly added lectures on sustainability and human rights by experts, and classes on scientific technologies related to greenhouse gas reduction. In addition, the class on the correlation between sustainability information disclosure and corporate value has been increased by one session, making the content even more fulfilling. In the current global situation where the necessity for essential discussions on sustainability management is increasingly rising, full-time faculty members specializing in sustainability and external experts will provide a cutting-edge learning environment, utilizing the knowledge cultivated through business education in ABS's MBA program to offer a high-quality sustainability course.
(Course Period) September 5, 2026 (Sat) - January 23, 2027 (Sat)
(Application Period) June 1, 2026 (Mon) - July 13, 2026 (Mon)
Purpose of the Course
Based on essential discussions on what sustainability companies should tackle, the purpose is to train experts and officers capable of formulating corporate strategies and business plans incorporating sustainability while understanding taxonomies, guidelines, regulations, and standards.
Participants of the 1st to 4th Term Courses
Managers of listed companies, executives of small and medium-sized enterprises, young presidents of venture companies, and professionals such as certified public accountants have taken the course.
The industries are also broad, with participants from manufacturing, finance, trading companies, IT/services, and consulting.
The gender ratio is approximately 1:1.
Voices of Participants from the 1st to 4th Term Courses
In the first half, the focus was on how companies should practice sustainability management, which provided a good opportunity to think concretely while comparing it with our own company's initiatives. Also, the occasional inclusion of the investor's perspective helped me understand the viewpoint of external evaluation. In the second half, multifaceted themes such as the investor's perspective, the forefront of European policy, and energy resilience were taken up, allowing me to grasp sustainability from a broader perspective. I reaffirmed the importance of objectively considering the impact of corporate activities on society and the environment, and I feel I want to utilize this in future initiatives. Throughout the course, I realized that I was able to gain the knowledge and perspective to view sustainability as a concrete strategy.
In this course, in addition to systematically learning about the environment, human capital, and governance, I was also able to touch upon themes directly linked to practical work, such as ESG investors and European trends.
As a program, the content was very fulfilling, and I looked forward to attending the lectures every week.
The course content is broad (if it were a course focused on finance, many universities offer it).
There were many topics that I couldn't fully pay attention to in my usual work, which was very educational. I was grateful to be able to step back, as I was pointed out several times to take a bird's-eye view of the whole, not just from the perspective of sustainability.
I was able to learn the comprehensive sustainability knowledge required of a sustainability officer.
For each theme, it was helpful to hear from people who are actually engaged in business and research on them from a professional perspective.
The lectures were mainly given by top-class external experts, which was very meaningful.
It was good that the teachers were active top-level people in the business world or researchers.
In the final report, the sense of issues based on each student's actual work was reflected, and there was much to learn.
In creating the report, not only did we receive support from the professors, but information exchange also occurred among the students.
With various external lecturers involved, there was no major confusion in the progress on the day, and the fact that the operation was stable overall is a point that can be evaluated from the perspective of creating an environment where one can concentrate on taking the course.
Please check the website for details.
https://www.aoyamabs.jp/professionalprograms
Course Overview
Course Name: Sustainability Management Course
Location: Aoyama Gakuin University Aoyama Campus
Course Period: September 5, 2026 - January 23, 2027, Total 60 sessions (including 12 Pre-MBA subjects (elective), 2 interim reports, 4 final reports)
Target Audience: Practitioners and experts required to formulate corporate strategies and business plans incorporating sustainability
Instructors: ABS full-time faculty and external lecturers
Method of Taking the Course: Selection by document screening
Application Period: June 1, 2026 (Mon) - July 13, 2026 (Mon)
Course HP: https://www.aoyamabs.jp/professionalprograms
About the Certificate of Completion
This course is implemented as a 'Certificate Program' stipulated in the School Education Act under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Those who have taken all classes and met the prescribed requirements will be issued a certificate of completion in the name of the President of Aoyama Gakuin University. The certificate of completion can be listed as educational background on resumes and job cards.
Profiles of Program Supervisor and Coordinator
Program Supervisor
Tetsuo Kitagawa
Professor Emeritus, Aoyama Gakuin University; Specially Appointed Professor, Tokyo Metropolitan University
Graduated from the School of Commerce, Waseda University; completed the Master's program at the Graduate School of Commerce, Waseda University; completed the Doctoral program at the Graduate School of Commerce, Chuo University. Ph.D. (Economics). After working as a think tank researcher and an investment institution researcher, he became a professor at the Graduate School of International Management, Aoyama Gakuin University in 2005 (Subjects taught: 'Corporate Governance', 'Corporate Communication', 'Financial Reporting', etc.) and has been in his current position since 2019. He currently serves as Representative Director of the general incorporated association 'ESG Information Disclosure Study Group', Chairman of the Judging Committee for the Ministry of the Environment's 'ESG Finance Award', Member of the Ministry of the Environment's 'ESG Finance High-Level Panel', and Director of the public interest incorporated foundation 'Japan Securities Scholarship Foundation'.
Program Coordinator
Haruyoshi Ito
Professor, Graduate School of International Management, Aoyama Gakuin University
Graduated from the School of International Politics, Economics and Communication, Aoyama Gakuin University. Obtained a Ph.D. in International Management from the Shidler College of Business, University of Hawaii. Obtained a Ph.D. (Policy and Media) from the Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University. After serving as a lecturer and associate professor at the International University of Japan, and an associate professor at Aoyama Gakuin University, he has been in his current position since April 2023. Representative Director of Itox Co., Ltd. since August 2015.
His areas of expertise are corporate finance, risk management, and real options. In the field of risk management, he received the Japanese Society of Insurance Science Award (Paper Category) in 2018, the Excellent Paper Award from the Japan Institute of Life Insurance in 2022, and the Aoyama Gakuin Academic Award in 2023. In recent years, he has also been engaged in research on sustainable finance, authoring numerous papers including 'Valuation of Sustainability-Linked Bonds: Returns, Impacts, and Real Options', Operations Research Vol. 70 No. 4; 'A Study on the Feasibility of Sustainable Insurance: A Case Study of 100% Sustainable Life Insurance Sold by Bâloise Assurances Luxembourg', Journal of Life Insurance, No. 222; 'On the Correlation between Market Risk Premiums and SDGs: Implications to Corporate Value', Communications of Japan Association of Real Options and Strategy Vol.12, Issue 1. Since 2020, he has served as an expert for ISO/TC207 Environmental Management and ISO/TC322 Sustainable Finance, engaging in the creation of standards such as ISO 14054 Natural Capital Accounting for Organizations, and ISO/TS 32211 Sustainable finance — Products and services — Requirements and guidance sustainable finance products and services. Part-time lecturer at the Faculty of Business and Commerce, Keio University; Special Researcher at the CCS Promotion Policy Subcommittee, Institute of Modern Political Science, Waseda University; Member of the Deliberative Council of the National Mutual Insurance Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives (from August 2026); Councilor of the Japanese Association of Real Estate Financial Engineering; President of the Japan Association of Real Options and Strategy.
Specific Content of the Course
Overview
This course has a systematic curriculum structure focused on acquiring the practical ability of sustainability management that brings about corporate value enhancement and social impact.
Specifically, experts in each field will give lectures on the knowledge and skills necessary for the practice of sustainability management, based on the latest practical examples and trends in the US and Europe, and conduct discussions to enhance practical ability.
In addition, full-time faculty members of our university will also give lectures based on cutting-edge academic research and conduct discussions using the case method, allowing students to acquire logical thinking skills that contribute to the practice of sustainability management.
In the final presentation, participants will take up issues they feel in the practice of sustainability management and discuss solutions for them.
By repeating input through lectures and output through discussions and final presentations in this way, the curriculum is designed so that students can acquire the knowledge and skills to scientifically practice sustainability management.
Therefore, it is a systematic program aimed at those who wish to be active as sustainability officers in the future, those who are engaged in management strategy formulation and new business development necessary for the sustainable growth of companies by deepening their understanding of sustainability, those who are in charge of sustainability information disclosure, or those who desire such a career.
Class Content
Reference Materials (Overview of the Graduate School)
Aoyama Gakuin University Graduate School of International Management (Aoyama Business School: ABS)
Established in 1990, ABS has the longest history in Japan as a professional graduate business school where working adults study. Under the mission of 'contributing to pioneering a prosperous future through the training of creative leaders who fulfill their social responsibilities and act as global citizens, and through research activities that lead the times', we aim to develop human resources with the ability to learn collaboratively with diverse people with independence toward discovering and solving issues. With such history and characteristics, ABS, as a pioneer of business schools in Japan, has sent out more than 3,000 MBA holders to the world, and its graduates are active in various fields of the business world.
Acquisition of International Accreditation
https://www.efmdglobal.org/
In February 2022, ABS's MBA program obtained the EFMD Accredited MBA certification from the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD, Headquarters: Belgium), an international accreditation body for business education, as a program providing world-class business education. Even after obtaining this certification, we will continue to undergo reviews, and further improvement of program quality and exchange with overseas business schools are expected.
MBA Program
It consists of a 'Daytime Course' taken during the day on weekdays, and an 'Evening Course' taken on weekday evenings and Saturdays for working professionals employed in organizations such as companies. The curriculum consists of highly specialized subjects by full-time faculty, subjects where you can learn cutting-edge business by part-time lecturers active in practice, joint subjects with overseas business schools, etc., with content that can be utilized in business practice.
Distinctive Initiatives
While many business schools in Japan require a master's thesis to graduate, ABS has eliminated the master's thesis in line with global standards, and instead established the subject 'Aoyama Action Learning' developed in collaboration with overseas business schools and industry. This is a practical subject aimed at solidifying learning and knowledge and applying it to practical work as the culmination of two years of study.
*Subjects offered in FY2026
For other details, please visit the ABS website.
https://www.aoyamabs.jp/