Tag Archives: Anis Mnif

Alumni, Athletics, College of Engineering, EVENTS, FACULTY, FEATURED, GRANTS, NEWS, RANKINGS, RESEARCH, Research and Sponsored Programs, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

TSU Executive MBA students have earth shaking experience in Japan

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Participants in Tennessee State University’s Executive MBA program experienced much more than they expected during their recent visit to Japan as part of an 11-day global immersion program.

The 10-member group, which returned to the U.S. June 22, were among those who felt the earthquake that registered 6.1 on the Richter scale.

“It was indeed the most frightening experience of my life,” said Grant Winrow, a member of the group and special assistant to the President of TSU.  “What only lasted 10-15 seconds, felt like 10-15 minutes.”

TSU Executive MBA global immersion participants gather for a photo during their visit to CMIC Holdings Company in Japan. Seated, from left, are: Stefania Placentini, Leah Sarnicola, Janet Blakemore, Joyce Barbour, Anita Sykes-Smith and Tonya Kilpatrick. Standing, from left, are: Marrecco Johnson, Grant Winrow, Dr. S. Keith Hargrove, Philip Trella (Executive In Residence), Frederick Cawthon, CMIC Holdings’ Senior Management Executive Officer Phiilippe Auvaro, Dr. Melvin Johnson (Faculty), and Anis Mnif (EMBA Program Director). (Submitted photo)

The quake hit the Japanese city of Osaka at about 8:15 a.m., on June 18, the ninth day of the immersion program, but was felt 27 miles away in Kyoto where group members were having breakfast.

“We were at the hotel … and all of a sudden, the ground started shaking,” said Anis Mnif, group adviser and director of Graduate Studies in the TSU College of Business. “Since our hotel was located above a train station, we thought it was a train. To our surprise, it was not. The hotel crew came to us and said, ‘Hey, follow us but don’t panic.’”

Fortunately, no one in the group was injured, and they still made the most of their visit.

The global immersion program is part of the 12-course inaugural EMBA program intended to give participants real-world, real-life experience of international culture and business operation.

TSU Executive MBA students, program dcirector and faculty member visit a shrine during their 11-day global immersion visit to Japan. (Submitted Photo)

A business faculty member, an industry executive board member to the College of Business, and the EMBA program director led the visit. As part of their experience, participants were immersed in the Japanese culture through food cuisine, visiting historical temples and shrines. They also visited five leading corporations and held discussions on topics such as R&D and emerging trends in the automotive industry; core business and global development strategies and prospects for growth; and communications, public relations and marketing in Japan. Companies visited included Coca Cola, Mitsubishi, the Ritz Carlton, SAMCO and CMIC Holdings.

Dr. S. Keith Hargrove, dean of the College of Engineering and a student in the EMBA program, said the global immersion was very enriching.

“We learned about global business operations, consumer behavior, mergers and acquisitions, and marketing strategies,” Hargrove said. “These definitely add to the outstanding credentials and knowledge obtained in the innovative and experienced-based EMBA program.”

In addition to Kyoto, the group also visited Tokyo, and Kamakura, Nashville’s Japanese sister city.

According to Mnif, the global emersion experience is an optional component of the EMBA program. As part of the Global Residency course offered during the summer, program participants have the opportunity to spend 10 days studying outside the United States to broaden their understanding of leadership in a global economy and to experience firsthand the business practices and cultures of a foreign country. For those students who cannot travel, they have the option of taking the Global Challenges Class at TSU, Mnif said.

Dr. Melvin Johnson, professor of economics and the only EMBA faculty on the trip, said Japan was selected because of its unique and deep history and culture, and as “a global leader in innovation and business development strategies.”

“Japan’s natural barriers of unique heritage, language and business culture and customs create a challenging and positive learning experience for students that sharpen their abilities to operate successfully worldwide,” said Johnson, who is also a former president of TSU.

Philip Trella, an Executive In Residence, also accompanied the group.

Other EMBA students on the global immersion visit were: Joyce Barbour, Janet Blakemore, Frederick Cawthon, Marrecco Johnson, Tonya Kilpatrick, Stefania Placentini, Leah Sarnicola and Anita Sykes-Smith.

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

With more than 8,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 25 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

Alumni, Athletics, EVENTS, FACULTY, FEATURED, GRANTS, NEWS, RESEARCH, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

Japanese Delegation Holds Cultural, Economic and Political Discussion with Tennessee State University Students and Faculty

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – A former Japanese ambassador to the United States says Tennessee State University students and faculty can benefit from cultural and academic experiences in Japan.

Ichiro Fujisaki, Former Ambassador of Japan to the United States (Photo by John Cross, TSU Media Relations)

Ichiro Fujisaki, who served as his country’s chief diplomatic officer to the U.S. from 2008-2012, is now the president of the America-Japan Society, Inc., a private entity for interactive activities between Japan and the U.S.

He spoke on TSU’s Avon Williams Campus Wednesday when he led a four-member panel on Japan’s culture, economy, politics and relationship with the U.S.

Called “Walk in U.S., Talk on Japan,” the panel is held in different cities across the United States each year. Audiences include students, faculty, grassroots organizations and community leaders in face-to-face discussion on understanding the culture and people of the world’s third-largest economic power.

The Consul-General of Japan in Nashville, Masami Kinefuchi, and more than 100 TSU students, faculty, administrators and community leaders attended the program, which concluded with a Q&A session and exchanges with the Japanese delegation.

Last year, 21 TSU students and faculty went to Japan for a 10-day visit funded by the Japanese government. (College of Business Photo)

“Japan today is very different from the Japan we see in prototypes and sketches in the media,” Fujisaki said. “Japan is really modernizing; it is a very open society. Japan is not just beautiful; it is so lively. And the good thing about it is that Japanese people are friendly to Americans, which makes it very appealing to students and visitors.”

According to organizers, “Walk in U.S., Talk on Japan” began in 2014. Since then, the delegation – usually comprising different individuals – has visited more than 63 cities.

The TSU visit was held in collaboration with the College of Business and the Office of International Affairs, and a result of a “special” relationship between TSU and the Japanese consulate since 2016, according to Anis Mnif, director of Graduate Programs in the COB.

That relationship, Mnif said, has resulted in many visits by TSU students and faculty, including one last year when 21 students went to Japan for a 10-day visit funded by the Japanese government.

Ronald McFarland, a graduate student in the MBA program, was one of those students. He said the experience was “unique” and very rewarding.

“A lot of what we know about Japan we only see on TV, but going there and seeing how clean the cities are, the friendliness of the people and their willingness to accept us in their culture was very eye-opening,” said McFarland, of Nashville. “The goal of the trip was to spread the word about the relationship between Nashville and TSU, in general, and Japan. As a TSU student just making the connections, meeting with business professionals, young professionals, opened my eyes to a whole new look on our global society.”

Dr. Millicent Lownes-Jackson, dean of the College of Business, said the Japanese delegation’s visit is “just another step along our long path that we have been on” in building a relationship with Japan.

“Our students have been studying abroad in Japan for a good number of years,” Lownes-Jackson said. “So this is just another step in building even stronger relationships. We think this will open the doors for more study abroad opportunities for our students, faculty, and for faculty from Japan to come and teach our students here in America.”

Also speaking at the program was Dr. John Robinson, professor of biological sciences and interim associate vice president for Academic Affairs, who brought greetings on behalf of President Glenda Glover.

Howard Gentry Jr., Criminal Court Clerk of Davidson County and TSU alum credited with helping to establish the relationship between TSU and the Japanese consulate, also attended the program.

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

With more than 8,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 25 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

Alumni, EVENTS, FACULTY, NEWS, RESEARCH, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

Japanese Delegation to Hold Cultural, Economic and Political Awareness Discussion at TSU

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – A four-member Japanese delegation will visit Tennessee State University on Wednesday, Jan. 24 for a panel discussion on Japan’s culture, economy, politics and relationship with the United States.

Called “Walk in U.S., Talk on Japan,” the panel is held in different cities across the United States each year. Audiences include students, faculty, grassroots organizations and community leaders in a face-to-face discussion on understanding the culture and people of the world’s third-largest economic power.

At TSU, former Japanese Ambassador to the United States, Ichiro Fujisaki, will lead the one-hour panel on the Avon Williams Campus.

The discussion will run from 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. It will include a Q&A session, free breakfast and opportunity for networking.

According to organizers, “Walk in U.S., Talk on Japan” began in 2014. Since then, the delegation – usually comprising different individuals – has visited more than 63 cities.

The TSU visit is being held in collaboration with the College of Business and the Office of International Affairs, and a result of a “special” relationship between TSU and the Japanese consulate since 2016, according to Anis Mnif, director of Graduate Programs in the COB.

He said as a result of the relationship, 24 TSU students went to Japan last year for a 10-day visit funded by the Japanese government.

“We believe this relationship and panel discussion are important for our students to gain new knowledge about Japan,” Mnif said. “It could lead to more visits, study abroad and internship opportunities with Japanese companies in the U.S.”

For more information or to RSVP, go to: Walk in U.S., Talk on Japan, or contact Tiffanie Harris at 615-963.7088, or the Information and Cultural Section at the Consulate-General of Japan in Nashville at 615.340.4300.

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

With more than 8,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 25 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.