J-Search and the Graduate School of Project Design have established a tuition support program to develop prospective business leaders who will lead the succession of regional companies. A joint information session will be held at the Fukuoka Campus on 3 September 2026.
Against the backdrop of the shortage of successors for regional companies, J-Search has partnered with the Graduate School of Project Design to establish a new tuition support program, combining the use of search funds to promote third-party succession with regionally focused talent development. The program will support the tuition of successful searcher candidates who enroll in the graduate school's professional master's program.
Before and after formally beginning their activities as searchers, participants in the program can study knowledge and practical skills related to project design and management in the Graduate School of Project Design's master's program. The first year of the program will cover students enrolling in April 2027. The program is subject to prescribed criteria, including eligibility requirements.
A joint information session titled "Building a Career by Taking Over a Regional Company and Becoming a Business Leader" will be held at the Fukuoka Campus from 18:30 to 20:00 on 3 September 2026. The venue is the fourth floor of JR Hakata Building. Capacity is 20 people, attendance is free and advance registration is required. Online streaming is also planned.
J-Search supports third-party succession for regional companies, while the Graduate School of Project Design is an educational institution for working adults that researches and puts into practice growth strategies following business succession. The two organizations aim to develop the next generation of prospective business leaders who will drive the "second founding" of regional companies, combining tuition support with structured education to develop talent that can support regional companies from succession through growth.
The partnership between Japan Search Fund (J-Search) and the Graduate School of Project Design is positioned as an initiative integrating expertise in developing prospective regional business leaders and supporting business succession. The Graduate School of Project Design offers a two-year professional degree program, the Master of Project Design (Professional), and has campuses in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka and Sendai.