26 - 27 May 2025 | Tokyo, Japan
The meeting was held at the United Nations University in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport, Science and Technology, Japan, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The meeting was officiated by the President and CEO, Professor Emeritus Dr. Fumio Itoh.
During the annual meeting, presentations were made on accreditation activities conducted throughout 2024, the conferment of ABEST21 recognition in March 2025, and the presentation of financial and performance reports, all of which were approved by the members.
In addition, several key activities took place, namely:
i) ABEST21 Accreditation Award Ceremony – March 2025
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A total of 8 universities and business schools were awarded ABEST21 International Accreditation in March 2025.
ii) KAIZEN Award Ceremony – March 2025
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1 university and business school was awarded the ABEST21 KAIZEN Award in March 2025.
In July 2025, ABEST21 International celebrated the 20th anniversary of its founding. The international symposium carried the theme “Nurturing Human Resources and Developing Competitive Education Programs in the Global South.” It was officially opened and launched by Professor Emeritus Dr. Fumio Itoh, President and CEO of ABEST21 International.
Throughout the symposium, several knowledge-sharing activities were conducted, including:
i) Keynote Speeches
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The first keynote session was delivered by Prof. Dr. Tshilidzi Marwala, Rector of the United Nations University under the Secretary-General of the United Nations. He highlighted the achievements of the university in improving the quality of life for alumni and students from developing countries, such as those in Ghana, Africa, through access to education.
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The second keynote session was presented by Mr. Ueda Daisuke, Deputy Director General and Group Director for Higher Education and Social Security Group, Human Development Department, JICA. He shared Japan’s vision and initiatives to expand higher education in African countries, particularly Ghana, given the promising prospects for Japanese higher education institutions to grow there due to the large population and improving economic outlook.
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The third keynote session, presented as a case study, was delivered by Prof. Dr. Remy Magnier-Watanabe from the Graduate School of Business Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Japan. He discussed the operations of the Business School and the educational programs offered by the University of Tsukuba in Malaysia through UTM in collaboration with the University of Malaya.
ii) Forum Discussion Session
Seven universities and business schools shared their experiences in successfully managing business schools. The session was coordinated by Associate Professor Teguh Dartanto, Ph.D., ABEST21 International Vice President and Dean, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia.
Panelists included:
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Lecturer Ainur Rofiq, Ph.D., Vice Dean, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Brawijaya, Indonesia
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Associate Professor Hirose Yuta, Ph.D., Graduate School of International Management, Aoyama Gakuin University, Japan
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Professor Dr. Norzanah Mat Nor, Dean, Arshad Ayub Graduate Business School, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia
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Professor Dr. Hj. Nunuy Nur Afiah, Dean, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Padjadjaran, Indonesia
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Professor Takehara Hitoshi, Ph.D., Graduate School of Business and Finance, Waseda University, Japan
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Professor Dr. Zafir Khan bin Mohamed Makhbul, Dean, Graduate School of Business, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia
iii) Potential Collaborations with ABEST21 Member Universities
Through the ABEST21 International AGM and International Symposium, several universities were identified as having potential for collaboration with UMPSA in areas such as global classrooms, faculty exchange, mobility programs, and joint research projects. These include the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Indonesia (Indonesia); Aoyama Gakuin University (Japan); Graduate School of Business Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Tsukuba (Japan); and Graduate School of Business and Finance, Waseda University (Japan).
The closing ceremony of the International Symposium was delivered by Professor Dr. Ali Khatibi, ABEST21 International Vice President and Senior Vice President, Management & Science University (MSU), Malaysia.
The sharing of best practices from various universities has helped the faculty in planning new academic and research initiatives to strengthen the implementation of the MBA program. This will also directly support the preparation of the Quality Improvement Strategies (QIS) Report, which is scheduled for submission in June 2025 and will be audited in October 2025.