The Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) at the University of Jember successfully hosted a Visiting Lecture on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at 09:00 WIB. Held at the FISIP Auditorium, this prominent event attracted students and faculty members eager to broaden their international perspectives. Centered around the theme “Human Capital Development and Work Culture in the Era of Global Competition: Lessons from Japan,” the lecture was designed to provide profound insights into strategies for navigating global competition through superior human resource management.
The event commenced with an opening speech by the Dean of FISIP University of Jember, Suyani Indriastuti, S.Sos., M.Si., Ph.D. The interactive discussion was moderated by Honest Dody Molasy, S.Sos., M.A., a lecturer in International Relations at FISIP. The visiting lecture featured a highly distinguished keynote speaker, Dr. Takonai Susumu, the Consul General of Japan in Surabaya. In his presentation titled “Discipline, Innovation, and Excellence: Insights from Japan’s Human Development Model,” Dr. Takonai shared the core secrets behind the resilience and excellence of Japan’s human development system.
The Three Pillars of Japan’s HR System
During his presentation, Dr. Takonai Susumu explained that Japan’s Human Resource (HR) development system is built upon an integrated framework consisting of three main pillars:
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School education
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Public vocational training
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Corporate internal development programs
School education in Japan consistently emphasizes career and vocational training from an early age. Complementing this, the government provides inclusive public vocational training tailored for university and vocational high school (SMK) graduates, active employees, and individuals temporarily out of work. This institutional synergy ensures a seamless transition from academia to the professional workforce.
Furthermore, he highlighted how the corporate sector in Japan plays an active role in refining the competencies of their workforce. Japanese companies are fully committed to providing continuous training, including On-the-Job Training (OJT), Off-the-Job Training (Off-JT), and ample opportunities for self-development. This combination of training not only enhances technical expertise but also naturally fosters the distinct characteristics of Japanese employees—widely known for their high loyalty, strong sense of responsibility, solid teamwork, and harmonious collaboration within the workplace.
Modern HR Strategies: The ITO Report
Concluding his session, Dr. Takonai referenced the 2022 ITO Report for Human Capital Management by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) of Japan. He outlined a modern HR strategy encompassing three main perspectives and five critical factors.
The 3 Core Perspectives:
Aligning HR strategies with overall business strategies.
Identifying the gap between current conditions and organizational goals.
Instilling a strong corporate culture.
Meanwhile, the five supporting pillars for success include dynamic talent cultivation, internal knowledge sharing, motivation for digital re-skilling, enhancing employee engagement, and implementing flexible working arrangements, such as Work From Anywhere (WFA).
The visiting lecture concluded with a highly productive Q&A session, followed by an expression of gratitude from the keynote speaker for the enthusiastic participation of all attendees.