Osaka University's Faculty of Law and the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management will launch a collaborative lecture series, "From the Front Lines of the Nation, Corporations, and Local Communities," in the fall/winter semester of 2026. This marks the first time the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management has partnered with a national university to offer a lecture series for undergraduate students. Through this collaborative lecture series, the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management and Osaka University's Faculty of Law aim to cultivate future leaders who can shoulder the responsibility of managing the nation, corporations, and local communities.
The Matsushita Institute of Government and Management was founded in 1979 by Konosuke Matsushita with the aim of "cultivating individuals who can manage the nation," with a vision for Japan's future. Based on self-study and hands-on experience, the institute is committed to developing leaders who will shoulder the responsibility of society, and has produced many talented individuals, including those in the political world. This collaborative lecture series returns to the institute's founding principles and is conducted with the concept of "national management," which is its core management philosophy, as its foundation.
The course offered is a collaborative lecture series titled "From the Front Lines of the Nation, Corporations, and Local Communities" (Instructors: Professor Ryunosuke Kamikawa and Associate Professor Ryoma Daigo, Graduate School of Law, Osaka University). It will run from October 1, 2026 to January 14, 2027 (14 sessions in total) and will be offered to 200 second- to fourth-year students of the Faculty of Law at Osaka University. Fourteen lecturers will be featured, including Tomoko Shirai (CEO of Kodomo Sakusei Think Tank Co., Ltd.), a graduate of the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management, Seiji Maehara (Member of the House of Representatives), and Yasutomo Suzuki (Governor of Shizuoka Prefecture).
Through lectures by instructors with practical experience in national, regional, and organizational settings, and through discussions with participants, this course will explore the nature of governance and publicness, as well as the roles and responsibilities required of leaders. In the context of a global society facing various challenges, participants will learn about the ideals and perspectives upon which leaders at the forefront of Japanese national, regional, corporate, and social activities govern the public and manage society.
According to Professor Kamikawa, who is in charge of the course, Osaka University has a tradition of emphasizing practical learning, stemming from the enthusiasm and donations of the Kansai business community and the people of Osaka Prefecture that led to the founding of its predecessor, Osaka Imperial University. The Faculty of Law, for example, was the first national university to offer a "lawyering (dispute resolution)" course, taught by legal practitioners who are alumni, demonstrating a history of education that is conscious of the social application of academics. "This course also follows in that tradition, and we will listen to the stories of people who have been working hard in the fields of the nation, the region, and the business, and then engage in discussions based on those stories. Through this, we will learn about the realities of society and consider what kind of abilities are necessary to solve problems in the field," he commented.
<Lecturer for the Social Collaboration Lecture "From the Front Lines of the Nation, Corporations, and Local Communities">
(Listed in alphabetical order, titles omitted) *Graduates of Matsushita Institute of Government and Management
Taigi Izaki (Kitakyushu City Council Member) *
Masae Ido (Member of the House of Representatives) *
Masanori Kato (Representative Director, Hito no Mori Co., Ltd.) *
Tomoko Shirai (Representative Director, Children's Policy Think Tank Co., Ltd.) *
Yasutomo Suzuki (Governor of Shizuoka Prefecture) *
Nobuhiro Tanabe (former mayor of Shizuoka) *
Shinji Tarutoko (former Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications) *
Kazuhiro Tsuga (Special Advisor, Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
Fumihiro Hashikawa (Director, Tourism Mihama, General Incorporated Association) *
Tetsuro Fukuyama (Member of the House of Councillors) *
Masako Maeda (Dean of the Faculty of Management and Innovation, Konan University) *
Seiji Maehara (Member of the House of Representatives) *
Hiroshi Yamada (Member of the House of Councillors) *
Yusuke Watanabe (Director, PHP Institute, Inc.)
