2025 SAUPO-Japan Program

Symposium on ASIA-USA Partnership Opportunities
May 16, 2025; Tokyo Japan

Largest Asia Business Conference in the USA
SAUPO is organized by the Asian Studies Program at Kennesaw State University.
This version is updated on 04/01/2025 by Dr. May Gao, SAUPO Chair.

SAUPO Day: 9:00am to 5:30pm, Friday May 16, 2025, saupo.kennesaw.edu
Banquet Room, 25th Floor
Royal Park Hotel Tokyo Shiodome
ザ ロイヤルパークホテル アイコニック 東京汐留
1 Chome-6-3 Higashishinbashi, Minato City, Tokyo 105-8333 JAPAN
Premier English Only Event

saupo symposium on asia usa partnership opportunities

SAUPO 2025 Itinerary: Friday May 16, 2025 from 9:00am to 5:30pm

9:00am-10:00am: Registration & Networking, with live Shamisen performance
Sponsored by KSU Wellstar College of Health and Human Services

Master of Ceremonies:

  • May Gao, SAUPO Chair, Professor of Communication & Asian Studies, KSU
  • Masako Rachel, Associate Professor of History, KSU 

10:00am-10:30am: Opening & Introductions
Sponsored by KSU Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences (RCHSS)

  • Sha Huang, Asian Studies Director, Associate Professor of Chinese, KSU
  • May Gao, SAUPO Chair, Professor of Communication & Asian Studies, KSU
  • Michael Chen, Associate Dean, Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences, KSU
  • Kazuhiro Chikayama, Associate Professor of English Education, J. F. Oberlin University

10:30am-11:30am: Sponsored by KSU College of Architecture and Construction Management and KSU’s MS in Healthcare Management and Informatics

SAUPO Panel #1: AI, Infrastructure and Healthcare

Moderator: Doug Moodie, Professor of Management, Kennesaw State University

  • Victor Osumi, President-Japan, Delta Air Lines; President, American Chamber of Commerce, Japan
  • Sweta Sneha, Executive Director, MS in Healthcare Management & Informatics, KSU
  • Brian Moore, Chair of the Department of Construction Management, KSU

11:30am-2:00pm: Sponsored by Shimizu North America & Shimizu Corporation

SAUPO Networking Buffet Lunch with Keynote Speeches

  • Makoto Hidai, Manager, Offshore Wind Power Projects Office, Shimizu Corporation
  • Masahiro Indo, NOVARE, Shimizu Corporation
  • Soichiro Takashima, Mayor, City of Fukuoka

2:00pm-3:00pm: Sponsored by KSU Office of Vice President for Research and
KSU Coles College of Business

SAUPO Panel #2: Global Workforce Development

Moderator: May Gao, SAUPO Chair, Professor of Communication & Asian Studies, KSU

  • Alex Gregory, former President & CEO, YKK Corporation of America
  • Toru Ichikawa, Global Engagement & Partnership Division, Kanda University of Int’l Studies
  • Shinji Matsuda, Manager, International Affairs Division, Chukyo University
  • Yuumi Mochizuki, Investment and Trade Manager, State of Georgia – Japan

3:00pm-3:30pm: Afternoon Sponsored by YKK Corporation of America

SAUPO Afternoon Break

  • Jessica Cork, Vice President of Global Engagement, YKK Corporation, Tokyo

3:30pm-4:30pm: Sponsored by KSU Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology

SAUPO Panel #3: Building ASIA-USA Partnerships

Moderator: George Mui, Managing Partner, Global Consultants United

  • Hiroshi Sekiya, President, Maintech, Japan
  • Kiyo Kojima, Partner, Smith Gambrell Russell; Chairman, Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Georgia
  • Asahi Iwasawa, CEO, HATSU Japan

4:30pm-5:30pm: Sponsored by KSU College of Computing & Software Engineering and AdoModel

SAUPO Networking

SAUPO Zoom Webinar for global livestream will be operated and recorded by

  • Sanjeev Adhikari, Graduate Coordinator of Construction Management, KSU
  • Brian Olovson, Director of Modern Languages and Cultures, KSU

    https://tinyurl.com/5n77bw29
SAUPO 2025 Magazine