ANN ARBOR, Michigan - The Stephen M. Ross School of Business Commencement Ceremony was held on May 1, 2009 to honor graduates from all of Ross' academic programs. The afternoon began with a reception, which was held in the school's Davidson Winter Garden. Dean Robert Dolan, Ross faculty, and staff joined the reception to mingle with students and their families as they toured the school and enjoyed a light lunch buffet. Global MBA Xia Xiao of Beijing Powerad Advertising is pictured here with Dean Dolan in the courtyard near Blau Auditorium.

In the afternoon, a ceremony was held in the Blau Auditorium to honor graduates in the international honor society, Beta Gamma Sigma which recognizes students for their academic success. The ceremony was hosted by Valerie Suslow, Associate Dean for Degree Programs and Dennis Capozza, Professor of Finance and Real Estate and Dykema Professor of Business Administration. Attendees received their membership certificate and a keepsake sash. Global MBA Beta Gamma Sigma honorees pictured here, from left to right, are Jie Ren Julian Lim of Hawaii Furnishings PTE, Ltd., Hiroaki Tsutsui of Fuji Xerox Co., Naoya Matsuda of Kyushu Electric Power Co., Hiroto Ishikawa of Sony Corporation, In Soo Kim of Maeil Business Newspaper, and Jinpyo Kim of Woori Bank.

The official commencement ceremony was held at Crisler Arena in the evening. More than 6,000 graduates and guests gathered in support of the Ross School. An impressive processional of the graduates through the arena onto the main floor began the ceremony. Dean Dolan presided over the events of the evening. Commencement speaker, Stephen M. Ross, offered words of wisdom and encouragement to the graduates. In addition to serving as the 2009 Ross School commencement speaker, Mr. Ross was the recipient of the 2009 David D. Alger Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award. In 2004, he gave a $100 million naming gift to the business school and led the campaign for construction of the new 270,000-square-foot facility, which opened in January 2009.

Immediately following the address, graduates walked across the stage to receive individual recognition by Dean Dolan for their academic achievements. The entire day was a great success and a truly unique and memorable experience for our graduating students. Congratulations to the Ross Global MBA Class of 2009!

In the picture below left, Jo-Wei Huang of Genia & Co. poses for a photo at NTT DOCOMO. The middle photo shows Takayuki Nakayama of Fujitsu nearing the top of the Great Wall in Beijing and the photo on the right shows the Class of 2010 at Samsung Electronics' headquarters in Seoul.

Diversity among Asian nationalities in the classroom and exposure to businesses and historical sites during the Global MBA session in Asia provides Global MBA students with an opportunity to gain a better appreciation of other Asian business and social customs.

ANN ARBOR, Michigan - Students in the Global MBA Class of 2010 touched down at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport on June 3 and were met by the Class of 2009 who assisted the newcomers with moving their luggage and locating their new apartments.
The very next day, the students gathered for the first time at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business in Ann Arbor for their orientation. The day began with a light reception, followed by a warm greeting from Valerie Suslow, the Associate Dean for Degree Programs and Professor E. Han Kim, the Program Director. The new class has approximately two weeks to acclimate to their new environment before classes begin again.

The orientation continued with a tour of the business school campus including stops at the Tozzi Finance Center, the Kresge Library, the Och Fitness Center, the Davidson Winter Garden, and the new classrooms where students will complete their core curriculum during the summer. Following the tour, technicians from Ross' Information Technology Department assisted the class with accessing the school's wireless network for the first time. Next, advisors from the University of Michigan International Center performed the student check-in and presented an overview of the health insurance program. In the picture above, Courtney Poles, International Student Advisor, is providing tips for getting settled and living in Ann Arbor. Next on the agenda was a presentation by AAA of Michigan about insurance and purchasing vehicles. The day ended with the University of Michigan Credit Union's presentation on the checking account, as we know it in the US, which is a new concept to many of the students. The first day in Ann Arbor was very exciting for everyone, despite the jet-lag most students were experiencing. Until classes begin again on June 22, the students will spend their time setting up their households, adjusting to their new environment, and of course, preparing for their classes.

TOKYO, Japan - We are happy to report that Yu Suzuki of Yamaha Motor and the Global MBA Class of 2008, was married on May 23, 2009. Yu and his beautiful bride, Yukako, are pictured here during their ceremony which was held at the fashionable Nikko Hotel in Tokyo. Global MBA friends from across Japan joined the happy couple for the celebration. Alumni Kenji Iwata of Itochu Corporation shared his heartfelt remarks in a toast to the couple and Toshiaki Kono of Nomura Research Institute entertained guests with a brilliant performance on the violin. Other Global MBA alumni attending the ceremony included a powerhouse of talent from leading Japanese companies. Pictured above standing behind the bride and groom, Takao Ito of Fujiwork Co., Noriaki Takeuchi of NTT East, Jun Usaka of Benesse Corporation, Kenichi Takahashi of Mitsubishi Corporation, Teppei Yamaga of Mitsubishi UFJ Securities, Kenji Iwata, Yuichiro Tsunashima of Denso Corporation, Kazu Nishii of Daiwa Institute of Research, and Shunsuke Orui of Nomura Securities.

Yu and Yukako will honeymoon and live in Vietnam where Yu has worked since graduating in 2008. We wish a lifetime of happiness to the young couple.