ABOUT US

HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL

Hitotsubashi University has inherited the traditions of Japan’s oldest business school, the Commercial Training School (Shōhō-Kōshūjo), which was established in 1875. The Commercial Training School underwent several name changes, from the Tokyo Commercial School in 1884, to the Higher Commercial School in 1887, to the Tokyo Higher Commercial School in 1902, and again to the Tokyo University of Commerce in 1920. During that time, it expanded its purview from commerce and management to encompass a wide range of academic disciplines including economics, law, and social sciences.

In 1949, the Tokyo University of Commerce changed its name to Hitotsubashi University, and today the university has five schools: the Faculty of Commerce and Management, the Faculty of Economics, the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Social Sciences, and the Faculty of Social Data Science.

In 2018, the Hitotsubashi University Business School (HUB) was created through restructuring and consolidation of the existing graduate school programs. The new business school comprises two schools: the SBA (the School of Business Administration), which provides Japanese programs, and the ICS (the School of International Corporate Strategy), which provides English programs. The new SBA offers three MBA programs (the Business Administration Program, the Business Analysis Program, and the Financial Strategy Program) and three researcher training courses (master’s and doctoral courses at Kunitachi Campus, a doctoral course in the Financial Strategy Program at Chiyoda Campus, and a doctoral course in the Innovation Management Program), with a variety of curricula and a broad range of learning opportunities, including both daytime and evening classes.

Together, the Faculty of Commerce and Management and Graduate School of Commerce and Management constitute a single Business Academic Unit (BAU) responsible for undergraduate and graduate education respectively.

The mission of Hitotsubashi University is to nurture leaders who can take the helm of industry—“Captains of Industry.” Since the establishment of the Commercial Training School in 1875, this spirit has been passed down unwaveringly from generation to generation. Today, the School of Business Administration carries this tradition forward with the mission: “We foster captains of industry who create value for business and serve communities in Asia.” Guided by this mission, we place particular emphasis on three essential qualities expected of Captains of Industry: Leadership, Innovation, and Integrity. We have designed and offer educational programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels to help students acquire the knowledge and wisdom needed to embody these qualities.

　

Our educational activities are driven by world-class research. We actively pursue research, disseminate outstanding research findings internationally, and incorporate the latest insights from our research into our educational programs. We also engage continuously in academic exchange and collaborative research with researchers around the world. By continually challenging our own assumptions and perspectives, we pursue research with an enterprising spirit and a commitment to advancing the frontiers of knowledge.

　

We will continue to move forward in our endeavor to cultivate outstanding researchers who uncover the fundamental forces underlying our ever-changing world, as well as highly skilled business leaders who can grasp those underlying realities and translate them into practice.

　

“Captains of Industry" are leaders in the business world. Since its founding as an educational institution, Hitotsubashi University has produced many such outstanding business leaders. This role continues to be Hitotsubashi University’s primary mission.

　

That mission is defined in our mission statement, which inspires us to forge an environment of academic excellence. The pursuit and realization of this aspiration is embraced by all members of the Graduate School of Business Administration, including our faculty, our staff, and our students.