Shizuko Hirata, President CEO of SUNNY SIDE UP Career, Appointed as a Meiji University Trustee! What are the words she wants to share now, having helped build university brands through “words”…

Hello everyone. This is O from the President’s Office.

#Stayhomeで在宅勤務の方々も多い今。どんなに離れていようとも、ニュースは世界中どこにでも届けることが出来るはず！ということで今回のブログでは、“気持ちが少し明るくなる”ようなニュースをお届けします。

We are pleased to announce that Shizuko Hirata, President CEO of SUNNY SIDE UP Career, has been appointed as a trustee of Meiji University!

Before we get to the main topic, allow us to introduce Ms. Hirata’s career.

After graduating from Meiji University Junior College, Ms. Hirata joined Fuji Television Network, Inc. She was later seconded to Fusosha Publishing, where she was involved in the publishing production of the blockbuster “Who Moved My Cheese?”, which has sold a cumulative 4 million copies. She also became the first female executive officer in the Fuji Sankei Group. After leaving the company, she founded Hirata Works, a company that produces publishing, video, events, and more, and she currently serves as President CEO of SUNNY SIDE UP Career.
*In fact, there is also an anecdote that she became the model for Maetel’s “mother,” a character in “Galaxy Express 999.”

For details, please see the blog here!

■A trustee is, so to speak, the university’s “helmsman”

“Trustee” is not a term you hear very often, is it?
Simply put, it refers to the university’s “highest decision-making body.” In corporate terms, it corresponds to the “management team.”

Their primary role is to develop and examine the university’s overall management strategy—such as considering campus relocations and the establishment of new faculties, and devising strategies to attract new students. The university’s top executive, the “Chair of the Board,” is also selected from among these trustees.

This body is responsible for how to generate benefits for the university (from a marketing perspective) and how to enhance the university’s appeal and value (from a branding perspective). In that sense, it could be described as the university’s “helmsman.”

A total of 88 people were selected as new trustees this time: 35 faculty members, 9 university staff members, and 44 alumni. Of the 44 alumni, only four are women—and Ms. Hirata is one of them. *Term of office: 4 years

Meiji University’s landmark, Liberty Tower (Source: Meiji University website)

■Ms. Hirata has built brands through words. What “words” does she want to share now…

In fact, Ms. Hirata also serves as an editorial board member of Meiji University’s public relations magazine, “Meiji.” It seems that her many years of work on special features for this magazine also led to her selection as a trustee this time.

She also handled the editorial production of “Why Did Meiji University Become the No. 1 University Chosen by High School Girls?—How to Create a Brand Position That Creates Miracles” (Author: Toru Uesaka), which analyzes the university as an organization from a branding perspective.

“Words” are one of the most important elements in shaping a brand. Through the form of “editing,” it is clear that she has also been involved in what could be called university branding.

Meiji University’s PR magazine—aptly named “Meiji”!

Ms. Hirata could be described as a true “words” professional. We asked her what words she wants to share with young people today.

“I want to create a culture in which female students can thrive in society, and also make this a place where people with strong determination gather across a wide range of fields—politics, economics, welfare, education, and more. I hope young people will have a strong will that says, ‘I will carry Japan’s future on my shoulders,’ especially now.”

Finally, I would like to close this blog by sharing a line Ms. Hirata once said in an interview as she looked back on her career.

“What matters most is communicating through words and sharing them with one another. In the end, the only thing that creates the world is ‘words.’ ‘Words’ create the world. That is what I believe.”
Source: “Nippon no Marketer” interview
https://nipponmkt.net/2016/11/23/takurami39_hirataworks_hirata04/

Now, when there are fewer opportunities to meet in person and share words directly, whether you make the scenery around you positive or negative may ultimately be determined by “your own words.”

With that, everyone—let’s keep our words as bright as possible! Let’s do our best with #StaySafeStayFun!