The world is achieving rapid economic development, while at the same time, social problems such as poverty and environmental pollution are piling up and require solutions.

We selected as a theme social enterprises who seek to solve those social problems profitably, and realized a program with four teams from existing model analysis to business planning. If we understand innovation as an epoch-making idea followed by its realization, the first half of the program corresponds to ideation training and the second half is simulation for its realization.

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Date: Nov 21st, 28th, Dec 5th, 12th and 19th 2009 (5 days)
Venue: Hongo Campus, the University of Tokyo
Facilitator:
Hideyuki Horii, Professor, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo/Executive Directgor, i.school
Toshiki Sumitani, Managing Director, Learnnet Global School

Collaborator:
Global Asia Design School Program, Graduate School of Engineering, Chiba University
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Students’Comments

-There were various working persons who came out of the University of Tokyo to participate in the workshop.  Through communication with them I learned some good ways to think about my future career.  (Agriculture, graduate)

-Through group work I think I started to see the keys to create innovation. I cannot formalize the knowledge yet, but it is something about how to act and talk, and about the timing of the communication.  At least I feel I started to understand physically and can replay it.  (Engineering, graduate)

-We couldn’t achieve a business plan that is realizable from everyone’s point of view.  There are still a lot to figure out.  (Education, undergraduate)