【Announcement of Entrepreneurship Course in 3-4Q and early registration】
＜Understanding the reality of entrepreneurship through social needs and founder motivations,
while practically mastering its essence＞
● Courses Covered by this announcement:
・For undergraduate students: ENT.B201 Introduction to Entrepreneurship （0-1-0）
・For master’s students: ENT.V401 Master’s Introduction to Entrepreneurship 1 （0-1-0, GA0M）
・For doctoral students: ENT.V601 Doctoral Introduction to Entrepreneurship 1（0-1-0, GA0D）
・For Academy for Leadership (“ToTAL”) students：TAL.S503/508 Professionals & Value Creation（0-1-0, GA0M）
This is an announcement regarding the courses listed above, which will be offered in the 3rd and 4th quarters of the 2026 academic year, as well as the opening of advance registration for the program. Please note that students who register in advance will be given priority during official course enrollment.
Launched last year, this unique program is open to all students—both undergraduate and graduate. In today’s world, cultivating an “entrepreneurial mindset”—the drive to create and deliver new value—is essential for everyone, whether you pursue a career in research or excel in the business world.
The world of startups may not seem immediately familiar to you. However, it embodies the very core of today’s economic landscape, and it is undoubtedly a path worth exploring as a potential future option. Through these courses, you will certainly broaden your horizons and discover the vast possibilities that await you.
A Groundbreaking Entrepreneurship Course
This course serves as the foundation for Science Tokyo’s entrepreneurship courses and features the following unique characteristics:
● Industry-Leading Instructors: The course content is developed and delivered by DNX Ventures, a world-class venture capital firm operating in both Japan and the United States.
● Firsthand Insights from Entrepreneurs: Several successful entrepreneurs who are leading rapidly growing startups will be invited as guest speakers to share their real-world experiences.
● Vivid, Real-World Information: The curriculum is packed with firsthand insights from the daily operations of venture capitalists investing in new ventures, as well as the entrepreneurs creating them.
● Interactive Discussion & Contribution: We highly value active student engagement, including asking questions, participating in discussions with instructors, and collaborating with peers. In essence, students are expected to actively contribute to every session. Therefore, final evaluations will factor in both attendance and overall class contribution.
● Broadened Horizons for the Future: Whether or not you plan to start a business, this course will help you grasp cutting-edge societal trends and expand your future career options.
● Open to All Students: This program is open to all Science Tokyo students, regardless of major or grade level. Undergraduate students can register for this course as the 200-level “Introduction to Entrepreneurship,” while graduate students can take it as the 500/600-level “Master’s/Doctoral Introduction to Entrepreneurship 1.” Students are also welcome to participate without enrolling in a course.
● A Personal Blueprint for Entrepreneurship: You will gain a realistic and concrete understanding of what our university’s core objective of entrepreneurship education—developing the capability and drive to “explore and define new value”—means for your personal and professional growth.
Lecturers
• After graduating from the Faculty of Commerce at Doshisha University, he led venture investments and business development in the IT technology sectors across Japan and the US at Fujitsu and Mitsui & Co. After earning his MBA, he served as the Japan Representative for Globespan Capital Partners and Salesforce Ventures. He joined DNX Ventures in 2015 and has been serving as Managing Partner & Head of Japan since 2020. His major investments to date include Sansan, Money Forward, DataX, ANDPAD, KAKEHASHI, XICA, and Commmune.
• Completed the Executive Management Program, The University of Tokyo (17th cohort)
• Department of Business Law, Graduate School of Law, Hitotsubashi University (currently enrolled)
• Final assessment committee member and advisor for the Academy for Leadership, Institute of Science Tokyo
• Holds a Ph.D. from Doshisha University and an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
• Part-time Lecture at Institute of Science Tokyo
Akira Kurabayashi (PhD)
Managing Partner / Head of Japan at DNX Ventures
• After starting his career at Fujitsu, he served as an Executive Officer at a venture capital firm specializing in the biotech and hard tech sectors. He then joined one of the portfolio companies as Vice President, successfully executing its sale to an ASX-listed (Australian Securities Exchange) company. After serving as an outside director for various firms in the manufacturing and B2C sectors, he co-founded CLEARNOTE (formerly Arcterus), an edtech company, in 2010. As Vice President, he managed fundraising, capital and business alliances, corporate administration, and domestic business development, ultimately leading its acquisition by a major stationery company in 2021. He joined DNX Ventures in 2022.
•Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and an MBA from Keio University.
• Part-time Lecture at Institute of Science Tokyo
• Selected Publication: Yamada, K., & Shiraishi, Y. “Acucela Inc.: A University-Launched Venture Established in the U.S. by Japanese Researchers.” Kigyo Kenkyu (Business Research).
Yoshiki Shiraishi
Principal at DNX Ventures
(Reference：DNX Ventures website）
Class schedule and outline (The schedule is subject to change.)
| Time | 5:30 p.m. – 7:10 p.m. |
| Classroom | (tentative) Lecture Theater (WL1-301, West Lecture Building 1), Ookayama Campus |
| Language used | Japanese |
| Grading criteria and methods | 1. Grades are based on a comprehensive evaluation of attendance, responses to session surveys, and active participation, such as asking questions and engaging with instructors and guest speakers. (Undergraduate course will be given a numerical grade.) 2. In many cases, it is best to process the information provided by instructors and guest speakers during the session. Because the course is designed to build comprehension cumulatively and heavily emphasizes direct communication with them, full attendance is strongly encouraged. |
Early Registraion
■Please pre-register using this early registration form (https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/uem8iNUFKR) or the QR code below.
(Please note that you must still officially enroll in the course through the Kyomu Web System during the course registration period next semester.)
Students who register early through this form will be given priority during official course enrollment.
Early Registration Form (QR code)
Flyer
Click on the image or HERE to view the PDF.
Contact
Keisuke Yamada, Specially Appointed Professor
Center for Entrepreneurship Education (CEE)
Email: yamada.k.9f82@m.isct.ac.jp
Office: S6-309B, Ookayama Campus
