A new partnership aims to enhance collaborative opportunities centered on human resource development through innovation for University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa students. The Shidler College of Business and Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. (JAL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding during a ceremony at UH Mānoa on Tuesday, July 20.
UH and JAL will work together in various fields, including non-tourism sectors, to resolve social issues in the islands, including environmental concerns and achievement of sustainable development goals, to increase the attractiveness and value of Hawaiʻi to realize a sustainable society that can be passed onto future generations.
“We are thrilled for the opportunity to collaborate with Japan Airlines,” Shidler College of Business Dean Vance Roley said. “Given Hawaiʻi’s rich historical ties to Japan, coupled with Hawaiʻi being a premier destination for Japanese visitors, this is a synergistic alignment. We look forward to working with JAL and providing unique opportunities to our students.”
“We are looking forward to deepening our relationship with the UH Mānoa Shidler College of Business as we aim to help cultivate a more sustainable society in Hawaiʻi, by leveraging the strengths of students focused in the fields of innovation, tourism and human resource development in collaboration with our own innovation team located in Silicon Valley,” said Hiroshi Kuroda, Japan Airlines regional manager, Hawaiʻi region.
Cooperation and collaboration plans
- Establish a pilot program that will consider commercialization that will solve social issues or enhance customer value
- Implement a travel-centered mobile app and conduct joint research on database marketing and commercialization
- Collaborate with TRUE (an initiative launched by the Hawaiʻi Executive Collaborative, which aims to tech-enable local businesses) on events that promote the activities of start-ups and to create new business opportunities
- Establish a human resource development internship program at UH to provide internship opportunities for students at various JAL offices in the U.S. (JAL Hawaiʻi branch and Silicon Valley Investment and Innovation Group) and Japan (JAL Innovation Lab)
This collaboration is an example of UH Mānoa’s goals of Enhancing Student Success (PDF) and Excellence in Research: Advancing the Research and Creative Work Enterprise (PDF), two of four goals identified in the 2015–25 Strategic Plan (PDF), updated in December 2020.
