The #1 MBA in Japan is on a mission to become a world’s top MBA by TechnovateTM and AI.
Growing from a Harvard Business School (HBS) MBA alumnus startup to a Graduate School of Management, today GLOBIS attracts the largest number of students in the country and beyond. And for a reason. As of 2023 at GLOBIS University, over 11,200 students from 83 countries and regions have gained the purpose, knowledge, and network to thrive amidst rapid, unpredictable change.
We talked to GLOBIS Founder and President, Yoshito Hori, about his own MBA experience, and the past, present and future of the GLOBIS ecosystem providing fully transformative business leadership education. In spring 2025, Mr. Hori shares his unique view of higher education and professional career building in New York and San Francisco.
An HBS business case for a lifetime
As a visionary, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Yoshito Hori has brought the HBS business case method to Japan’s education, created Japan’s #1 MBA Graduate School of Management, GLOBIS University, and Japan’s #1 Venture Capital company, GLOBIS Capital Partners.
Growing up in Japan, a country combining unique culture and traditions with disruptive innovations and technological advancement, Yoshito Hori was unsatisfied with his engineering college education. Inspired by his father and grandfather, both Master’s degree holders, he knew he would gain an advanced degree. However, it was beyond his imagination, that he would get the Harvard Business School (HBS) MBA with a corporate scholarship from his first employer.
Yoshito Hori’s kokorazashi
When the HBS method, network and skillset matched Yoshito Hori’s restless mind, entrepreneurial drive and social responsibility, he found his kokorazashi (personal mission). Since then, he has invested his energy into reshaping leadership education, starting in Japan, which would allow motivated, mission-driven individuals to innovate more freely within their organizations. But …
His vision needed an ecosystem beyond a business school. So, he grew GLOBIS, starting with a course in Marketing in a rented space.
His human and social responsibility drive called for improving lives and giving back. After witnessing the rundown state of his hometown, Yoshito Hori initiated The Mito Downtown Revival Project and created a successful model for regional development.
His humble ambition today is to reshape the world of top MBA education. He is empowered by the success of the GLOBIS ecosystem approach and its exponential growth since 1992. Technological advancement has enabled global access to knowledge, skill-building and fine-tuning kokorashazi for the current and future generations of business leaders in an unpredictable world.
“Yes, innovation can be taught,” says Yoshito Hori despite the common belief that entrepreneurship and innovation spirit are personal traits.
Gain insight in his own words in this Access MBA interview.
What is the GLOBIS ecosystem and how does it create a stimulating learning environment for MBA students?
Our ecosystem is about people, capital and knowledge. We are finding out that we need a strong entrepreneurship spirit to move things forward or create them from scratch. So, we need to create an innovative spirit. So far, we have been quite successful in educating leaders, creating new industries, and disseminating knowledge as required to innovate societies.
GLOBIS provides more than full-time, part-time, online, nano and pre-MBA programmes. GLOBIS is an ecosystem with a business school, the GLOBIS University, a venture capital company, GLOBIS Capital Partners, and publishing companies, GLOBIS Unlimited, and GLOBIS Publishing/Insights. This is how we cater to the three key elements in management: people, capital and knowledge.
How did you come up with the idea of creating a business school?
When I was at Harvard Business School, I had a simple idea that I should create a business school in Japan, like HBS, or that could exceed HBS. Thus, we could educate leaders, and at the same time have a good human network and foster kokorozashi among the students.
I was fascinated by the case method because you had to use your brain to analyse and propose a decision and a strategy. Your solution is always unique because there is no right or wrong answer. This method changed the way I see things, and I learned how to manage any kind of company.
At that time, no business school in Japan offered a part-time MBA, and not many people wanted to take two years off from their companies for a full-time MBA. I thought we should create a business school teaching part-time in the evenings and weekends so that they can study while working.
What is the ambition of GLOBIS today?
When we started in 1992, we wanted to become the #1 business school in Asia. We worked for 30 years. In 2022, we realised we had achieved this goal in terms of scale, number of MBA students and corporate education training, and revenue.
We also realised there is a growing demand for online studies. However, there are no boundaries for online or virtual teaching. So, we could target the world.
At the same time, I am a venture capitalist. Thus, I know technologies will change champions. So, I thought that if we can leverage technologies, we can become the #1 in the world. Then, we changed our goal from becoming the #1 in Asia to becoming the #1 in the world in what we call the Technovate, Technology & Innovation, era.
GLOBIS has five unique features: practical education, quality guarantee and refund system, entrepreneurship, kokorozashi (personal mission) for each MBA student, and Technovate stream of electives combining venture capital, technology, and innovation courses. Which one of these GLOBIS MBA features makes the programme stand out among the world’s top MBA programmes?
We tried to become a different animal in the business school world. We don’t want to become Harvard, Stanford or Oxford. We want to become GLOBIS. To be different, we had to be unique.
Most of our five differentiating features are unique. No other business school has a quality guarantee and refund, a 100% practical faculty background, and is created from scratch in an apartment classroom. No other school has Venture Capital the scale that we have or talk about kokorozashi. The combination of these features is what makes GLOBIS unique.
If we have to single out just one uniqueness, this would be Technovate. We have a strong technology background, and over 200 engineers, investing in AI. We feel technology is and will change business education.
Managing Venture Capital tells us what new management or business models are being created in different industries. Applying these new business models leveraging technology into business education makes GLOBIS quite distinctive.
Being the #1 business school in Japan, does GLOBIS have a special focus on leading business in Japan or Asia?
Our special focus is on Technovate – a word we created to reflect the combination of technology and innovation. Our Venture Capital informs us about what other companies are starting up using technology.
Our second focus is kokorozashi. If you want to be a manager or an entrepreneur, you want to be mission-driven, always pursuing your purpose. So, we are providing time and skills to ensure that your philosophy is well embedded into your business.
So, Technovate and kokorozashi create the distinctive focus that GLOBIS provides globally.
Almost 60% of GLOBIS MBA students are international coming Asia, Europe, North America, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Oceania. What attracts them to your MBA programme and where does their post-MBA career progression take them?
I’ve been asking students this simple question: Why did you decide to join GLOBIS? First, many like the concept of Technovate. Second, comes the concept of kokorozashi, the purpose. Third, they wanted to be in Japan, and quite a few were attracted in their childhood through Manga animation and culture. Fourth, they like the entrepreneurial story and spirit of GLOBIS.
In terms of career progression 75% work in Japan, 85% are employed 3 months after graduation, many receive full-time offers from their internships arranged by GLOBIS University, and the annual salary increase is 58%.
In your vision, how can technology and AI enhance education and personal development?
GLOBIS has several patents for AI in education. I am not aware of other business schools that have AI patents. From our experience, it is clear that AI can teach students so that they acquire knowledge. However, our research and goal are for AI to teach the case method discussion. And that time may come.
We are also assessing the skillset needed for successful leaders so that we can provide the best learning programme. In the future, education can become more personalised because everyone is different.
When this time comes, expected in 2040 or 2050, we want to be at the forefront of this technology in business school education. This is what we call the #1 business school in the Technovate era.
Can entrepreneurship and innovation be taught?
I didn’t have the answer, but I thought about your question. Entrepreneurs believe in their potential. Everybody has unlimited potential. People tend to lock their potential by their mindset. So, the mindset has to be changed.
What can be taught is how to grasp changes with new services or products, new business models, how to create good organisations, and how to procure capital.
The spirit can’t be taught. It has to be influenced. So, you need to have a good environment, so that you are surrounded primarily by entrepreneurs. You can simulate such situations in business education.
How important are ‘human skills’ in a world of technology?
You need to have soft skills whenever you work with people to motivate, get energised, direct, have rapport and a good emotional attachment.
We use technology to communicate. We must learn to use technology well. This we may also call human skills or Technovate skills.
How can MBA students make the most of their studies?
GLOBIS helps students maximise their post-MBA opportunities, enlighten their perspectives, develop skills, and meet interesting people who will become their assets and friends.
GLOBIS alumni always tell me they are grateful to themselves for their decision to join the MBA program. So, my advice to prospective students is to come join GLOBIS, change their lives, and have a happy life and a better sense of purpose.
Find your purpose, and make an impact.
About the author
Iliana Bobova is a seasoned international education and career coach, and a former Executive MBA recruiter and admissions officer. Since 2010, she has been advising and coaching prospective MBA and Master’s students globally at Masters, MBA, and EMBA events, as well as on Advent Group’s online event and school selection platforms. Additionally, she has served as the Chief Editor of the annual Access Masters, MBA & EMBA Guide for over a decade.
Iliana has acquired extensive professional expertise through training at institutions such as Harvard University, the International Association of International Education (EAIE), the Institute of International Education (IIE), NAFSA: Association of International Educators, Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF), and Randstad RiseSmart, among others. Her academic background includes HR Management & Development, Social Pedagogy, English Language, Literature, and Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL).
