JAPAN INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AGENCY IN THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN INFORMATION BULLETIN No17 August, 2011 CONTENTS Training Future Leaders Uzbekistan-Japan Center for Human Training Future Leaders Resources Development (UJC) is a project, initiated by the Japan International Cooperation Message from Mr. Nishiwaki, Co- Director of UJC Agency (JICA) and the Ministry for Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade of Message from Ms. Kimura Ami, the Republic of Uzbekistan to ensure further Project Coordinator of UJC development of economic cooperation between Uzbekistan and Japan, personnel training and to Professional Management Program: a Competent View at the Complex strengthen cultural ties between the two World of Business countries. The official opening ceremony of the Centre was held on August 22, 2001 at the Professional management program Sharing with Happiness International Business Center. On March 28, 2007 the first regional branch of the Center was opened in the city of Bukhara. The Center Follow-up Cooperation Projects (FU) operates in four main areas: organization of business courses, Japanese language Statistical Data on the Business courses, computer training courses for deaf-and-dump people, as well as facilitation of Courses Programs of the information and cultural exchange between our countries. Uzbekistan-Japan Center In transition to a market economy Uzbekistan needs a new generation of business leaders with advanced knowledge and skills of doing business. In this regard, the Message from JICA Staff Centre has developed a unique program of short- News in Brief term business courses for novice entrepreneurs and acting managers, which will help them in ! New JICA Experts were Dispatched obtaining new or expanding existing knowledge in the field of business management. In future, it is ! New JICA Volunteers were planned to improve the content of lectures for the Dispatched human resources development course in order to support start-ups and businesses initiated by the course alumni and help them to adapt to the current situation in the market of Uzbekistan by introducing "Japanese management" technique, which has gained worldwide recognition. To the Fair “Studying in Japan” moment, more than 4,000 people have attended these training courses. Since its opening, the Center has been providing everyone with the opportunity to study Japanese language. To develop Japanese language teaching, the Center carries out wide range of activities, such as conducting Japanese language certification exams, speach contest and the Republican contest for junior students, supporting organization of meetings of Japanese Language Teachers Association, etc. For the first time computer courses for deaf- and-dump people were organized by UJC in collaboration with the Republican Association of Deaf People at the end of January 2005. The main goal of the courses is to give people with disabilities an opportunity to study computer literacy free of charge. Furthermore, various cultural events (open lectures, films demonstration, ikebana and origami classes, calligraphy lessons, tea ceremony, Japanese dish "makizushi" cooking Computer courses for master-class and etc.) are periodically organized deaf-and-dump people in order to ensure a diverse field of communication for cultural exchange. Since the very beginning, the Center has been keeping statistics of visitors, and thus, today the number of visitors has reached 500,000 people. The Center tries its best to meet the needs and interests of Uzbekistan citizens by organizing and conducting various courses and events. Message from Mr. Nishiwaki, Message from Ms. Kimura Ami, Co-Director of UJC Project Coordinator of UJC This year marks the 10th The Uzbekistan-Japan Center for Human Development (UJC) anniversary of the establishment of has been supported by many concerned people in both countries the UJC. By taking this opportunity, Uzbekistan and Japan since its opening in August 2001, and this I would like to extend my heartfelt year it is celebrating the 10th anniversary. If in the beginning the gratitude to all of you for the warm number of visitors was around 2,000 people per month, then today support you have been offering to this figure exceeds 5,000 people. the UJC. I was appointed to UJC as a project coordinator in July 2008. At that time the project was coming to the middle of the second To celebrate this memorable phase, the Center's activities were already stable and it was being year two events are going to be operated thanks to initiative of national staff. During these three held this fall. One is going to feature cultural activities including years we were working on new approaches and as a result last cultural traditions of Japan and Uzbekistan such as Japanese year we opened a new business course called “Junior dance, Japanese drumming, Dutar playing and so on, which management program (JMP)” targeting young professionals. UJC members have been practicing. During this festival many Furthermore, in 2009 and 2010 we held a fair “Studying in Japan”, photographs and pictures will be demonstrated, so you can have where Japanese universities were invited to participate and a look at the 10-year history of our center and at the attempts we attracted many people. have made to promote mutual understanding between Being a member of the UJC management, at the same time, I Uzbekistan and Japan. am a student of the UJC Dutar course, where I learn how to play The other is an open business forum. Although the details are the Uzbek national musical instrument dutar. It is one of my still under consideration, business people including alumni of our pleasant activities in Uzbekistan. Moreover, thanks to this course, business courses are willing to get together and share their I had an opportunity to appear on local TV show. knowledge and experience to expand the pool of business ideas. In conclusion, I would like to This forum will also pay a tribute by highlighting achievements of take this opportunity to express small business and private entrepreneurship made this year. my deepest gratitude to all people who have supported our Another event to sum up activities during this important year project. I'm glad to celebrate of small business and private entrepreneurship is business here not only the 10th seminars to be held in various regions. We are going to cover as anniversary of UJC, but also the many cities as possible by these seminars. 2 0 t h a n n i v e r s a r y o f We will give you more detailed information when the Uzbekistan's Independence. I schedule will be arranged. We are looking forward to seeing you wish both UJC and Uzbekistan at these events. progress and success. Professional Management Program: a Competent View at the Complex World of Business In 2007, I learned about Professional Management Program (PMP) of the Uzbekistan-Japan Center from my best friend and colleague, who had graduated from PMP and participated in the training course in Japan. She was so enthusiastic and full of new ideas so that I was inspired too. And I decided to enroll to this course as well. By that moment, I have already worked in business environment, but as I didn't have a business education it was difficult for me to understand how business world works and how to establish and manage own enterprise. In 2008 I took first training course "B" - "Management and Human Resource Development" at UJC, and since then I have been trying to keep in touch with the Center and be aware of all the related news. In 2009 I was enrolled to the fourteenth PMP program. I can say that for these 6 months of study I gained many friends among my classmates, who even became to me as close as family members, and the Center turned to my second home. We all loved this second home so that always rushed to the classes leaving our working places and were glad to see each other and couldn't stop talking and exchanging ideas and views. The most important thing I value most of all is making new friends who have great experience and who are always ready to share their experience and give valuable advice. Thanks to PMP courses I have learned about financial management, accounting, and profitability analysis, preparation of a business plan, and many other nuances and aspects of business. The fact that the subjects were taught by professional trainers, who have also practical application of their subjects, is a great advantage of all the business courses of Uzbekistan-Japan Center. Because of this, each practical question asked by the students found its competent and professional response. When I was enrolled in these courses, I was proud to say that I was taking a PMP course of the Uzbekistan-Japan Center, as I knew that most of the elite of Uzbekistan business had taken these business courses. Actually, it was a surprise for me to win this project. Because there were many experienced business leaders, people who have their own business, studying together with me at this course. And I even did not think that I could win this project. The winner of the project was awarded by training in Japan. The training was organized by JICA in cooperation with the organization of PREX. Within the period of two weeks we visited 16 institutions to experience in practice the Japanese management system, which we studied from the PMP course in theory. We saw in practice how such systems as “Kaizen”, “Kanban”, “Just in time” work. Leading and world-famous Japanese companies were eager to share their experiences of establishing a company. The executives of these companies have told us how they manage these large companies. We participated in the production process, saw how the quality circles were held in organizations, how the common standards were designed and operated in organizations.