TOKYO -- Mitsubishi Corp. is requiring all managers in their 10th year at the company to take online courses from top business schools, in an effort to hone their skills without the cost of sending them to overseas MBA programs.
About 100 employees will take a one- to two-month course each year from three institutions, including Harvard Business School and Insead, to learn in areas such as finance and debating. Participants will join lectures and debates online on weekends, and will receive a certificate of completion once they pass the course.
The trading house currently sends about 10 employees abroad to attend two-year MBA programs at a cost of 10 million yen ($92,000) or more per person. Meanwhile, the online courses cost about 200,000 yen to 300,000 yen for each person. The company will continue to send employees overseas to learn, but wants more people to take online courses as well.
