I’m encouraging my students to use the FT for a wide range of purposes, including accessing current market data, exchange rates and stock price movements, to bridge the gap between the classroom and the wider world.
Professor of Economics, Hosei University
A longstanding institution
Based in Tokyo, Hosei University is one of the oldest private universities in Japan and is one of the Tokyo “Big Six” universities. Each year, approximately 120,000 students apply for admission to Hosei University, and it has been consistently ranked in the top two in Japan for number of applications for the past decade.
Adopting cutting-edge teaching methods
Hosei University combines a longstanding heritage with a strong commitment to achieving excellence through innovation, and constantly looks for ways to implement digital adoption in the classroom.
Higher education institutions still heavily rely on print research materials, especially in Japan. There’s a pressing need to keep up with new students’ expectations and preferences for digital resources and to offer an up-to-date learning experience that’s fit for the 21st century. Today’s students need to be outward looking, understand the wider global economy and prepare for entry into a business world in which the primary business language is English. It’s also necessary to provide a more seamless, connected experience for students, since Japanese universities now tend to communicate with students via web-based platforms such as Jugoshoen or Manata.
Dr Hirata, an Economics Professor at Hosei University, was keen to bring his students an innovative learning experience that embraces the power of digital. He made the decision to give his classes access to FT content online. He also regularly encourages his students to make use of the FT’s mobile app.
Using the FT’s mobile app gives me easy access to FT articles on-the-go. I’m also able to compare what I learn in class to real-world business issues covered by the FT.
Faculty of Business Administration, Hosei University
Having digital access makes sense for Hosei University because traditional journal articles and book chapters date quickly, they can be difficult and complicated for undergraduate students to understand, and are time- intensive and costly to photocopy and distribute. Now that they’re making use of the FT’s mobile app in and out of the classroom, Dr Hirata’s students are regularly reading and discussing FT news, insights and analysis, enhancing their understanding of complex global issues as they unfold.
Dr Hirata curates reading suggestions, choosing articles with the most relevant subject matter and the appropriate level of English for his students. As a result, students are improving their English language skills, while furthering their understanding of economics and its real-world implications.
Popular topics include:
- UK Economic Growth
- Global Politics
- Berkshire Hathaway
- Brexit
- China Politics & Policy
- Globalisation
- China Trade
- UK Labour Productivity
- US Economic Recovery
- Trade war
- Unconventional monetary policy
In-class discussions are richer and more varied, now that students are more informed and have access to a wider array of high quality, in-depth content.
Integrated learning
Dr Hirata plans to send his classes tailored emails containing links to assigned reading material. The FT is taking steps to help a wide range of Japanese universities make the most of our content. Our Business School Insider newsletter shares inside knowledge and useful tips from MBA professors to help faculty members integrate FT news, insight and analysis into their lectures and seminars. The FT also offers user guides to help Japanese audiences navigate the FT website quickly and easily to make them aware of what’s available.
An FT Professional Subscription extracts the intelligence that’s relevant to your business and delivers it via the media and technologies that suit you best, saving you time and keeping you informed on what matters.
Request a free trial today and see how our award-winning journalism, from 600 journalists across the globe, can help you and your team make informed decisions and reach your goals faster.