Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on November 2013

Many people see an MBA degree as their ticket to a better job and a higher salary, but is there more to it?

Over the years, Globis University, Japan’s largest business school, has built a reputation for offering more than just a set of skills and a network of useful contacts. During their MBA studies, students are pushed to reflect on what they really want to do in life and how they can achieve goals that will leave them truly fulfilled.

Two such people are Wilson Chan from Canada and Aya Murota from Japan. Coming from very different backgrounds, the pair found common ground at Globis’ Tokyo campus.

“I saw the potential in the school and coming from an entrepreneurial environment, I find the uniqueness of the brand very appealing,” says Chan, who graduated from the school’s one-year MBA program in September.

“The school focuses on your personal mission—it isn’t just about getting an MBA. They are actually trying to help us develop into the leaders of tomorrow.”

Following his graduation, Chan is on the cusp of the next chapter of his career, interviewing with a multinational technology company and a Japanese private equity firm.

Murota, meanwhile, joined the two-year part-time program this year so she could continue working full-time. She says that she is still exploring her own personal mission.

“I’m discovering a lot of new things,” says Murota. “I know a lot of Globis graduates who have gone on to start their own businesses, and I can see that the two years here helped them build that passion. So I might be interested in following that path.”

And it’s just that kind of environment that convinced Murota to join. With a highly motivated—and highly international—student body, she says Globis classes are a breeding ground of ideas and inspiration.

“Globis is very internationally focused and the classes are small,” she explains. “So there’s a lot of focus on discussions, rather than just listening to lecturers.

“When I joined the Open Campus and the Pre-MBA program, I felt sure that this was the right place for me. And now I know I made the right choice.”

Chan says the practical focus of classes made a big difference.

“I was expecting a normal program of lectures; but the reality was interactive discussions during class,” he says. “The MBA taught me that knowledge cannot be substituted for experience and the best combination is knowledge plus experience.”

Globis University offers a one-year full-time MBA and a two-year part-time MBA, as well as their Pre-MBA program, in which students can enroll in MBA courses before deciding to apply.

Upcoming Open Campuses:

• Wednesday, November 20
• Thursday, December 5
• Tuesday, December 17

Details: www.globis.ac.jp