§ 02    SEMINAR

Three tracks,
one community.

i. TRACKS

B1 · B2 · Graduate.

The seminar runs three independent tracks. Each is self-contained, but the community around them — reading groups, seminar camps, joint research — is shared.

Beyond seminar activity itself, IBER-Kotosaka partners with a wide range of companies and regularly hosts senior executives as guests — primarily through joint sessions in the B2 English track. A representative sample of those guests and partner organisations is listed below.

Bain Capital · Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation · BlackRock · CJ Group · Daimler Truck Financial Services · DeNA · Egon Zehnder · Gojo & Company · JT · M Power · Microsoft · MIT Sloan School of Management · Nissan Motor Corporation · Panasonic · Rakuten · SMBC Nikko Securities · Sony · Steinbeis University Berlin · UBS · Waseda Business School · Yahoo! Japan · YJ Capital · Yokogawa Electric.

B1 Japanese Track
TRACK · 01

B1 — Japanese Track

Weekly seminar in Japanese. Case-based discussion of Japanese and global firms, individual research. Members enrol as their primary (A-type) seminar at SFC, and work in close coordination with the B2 English track.

Language日本語
YearUndergrad 1–4
AffiliationSFC Aタイプ
MeetingWeekly
B2 English Track
TRACK · 02

B2 — English Track

Monday 5th period. English-language seminar partnering with Japanese and international companies for applied research. Members enrol as their primary (A-type) seminar at SFC, working in close coordination with B1 and — given the shared English-language environment — operating as a single community with the Graduate track.

LanguageEnglish
YearUndergrad 1–4
AffiliationSFC Aタイプ
MeetingMon · 5th
Graduate Track
TRACK · 03

Graduate Track

Flexible schedule. Monthly 1:1 with Prof. Kotosaka; optional participation in B1 and B2 seminars (encouraged). Operates as a single community with B2 in particular, given the shared English-language environment.

LanguageJP / EN
YearMaster / PhD
Affiliation修士・博士
MeetingMonthly 1:1
ii. ADMISSION

How to join.

The seminar is part of Keio SFC's kenkyukai (research-seminar) system. Admission schedules differ between undergraduate and graduate tracks.

Undergraduate — B1 / B2

Applications are accepted twice a year, aligned with SFC's seminar-selection windows: spring intake (around February) and autumn intake (around August).

Spring · 春 Fall · 秋 B1 / B2
Selection process
  1. Document screening — Statement of Purpose
  2. Group discussion
  3. Student interview (in-person)
  4. Faculty interview (online)
Statement of Purpose
  • Brief CV / background to date
  • Your "uniqueness" — experiences, passions, what you want to explore
  • What you want to give to and take from the seminar
  • Vision after graduation
  • How you currently spend a typical week
Two tracks

A short-form Specialist track with fewer steps is also offered for students who already hold a clear specialty, breakthrough experience, or strong "passion" and are looking for an entry point into management studies.

All members are required to pursue an individual or group research project — not limited to academic research; industry analyses by founders or aspiring founders also qualify. Potential is highly valued, so 1st-year and 2nd-year undergraduates are prioritised in admissions.
Students who have taken Prof. Kotosaka's classes and earned top-tier grades receive a degree of preferential consideration in the selection.
For details on the current cycle (deadlines, templates, submission form), please reach out to a current seminar member.

Graduate — Master & PhD

The Graduate Track accepts applications on a rolling basis throughout the year, in parallel with Keio's official application portal. Reach out directly to begin the conversation.

Year-round · 通年 Master · 修士 PhD · 博士
Who we look for

Highly motivated candidates with a strong academic background in strategy, international business, entrepreneurship, and institutional theory — and an interest in the four contemporary currents of strategic-management research (strategy-as-practice and -action, multi-layered boundary strategy, non-market and institutional strategy, and the algorithmic and robotic era; see our research focus). Ideal applicants demonstrate critical thinking, research potential, and a clear interest in these fields.

Past candidates

Past successful candidates have come from diverse academic and cultural backgrounds, representing top-tier universities such as the University of Toronto, LSE, and ESCP Business School. Many have also received scholarships from the Japanese government or other competitive funding institutions.

Recommended preparation

A solid foundation in the seminar's core research areas is highly recommended. For applicants without that background, we encourage engaging with academic literature from the Financial Times Top 50 (FT50) Journals to develop the necessary theoretical and analytical foundation.

Required materials
  • Self-introduction about your background
  • English proficiency test scores (e.g., TOEFL, GMAT, GRE)
  • Research plan
  • CV
Process

Submit the materials by email to the faculty / university, in parallel with Keio's official application portal. Only shortlisted applicants receive a response, typically within 10 business days. Initial interviews are conducted by current graduate students, followed by further assessments.

Application portal: see Keio's official graduate-school admissions page. Please contact Prof. Kotosaka in advance to confirm his acceptance as your research supervisor.
iii. CURRENT MEMBERS

The people in the room.

The cohort is a mix of first-year undergraduates through doctoral researchers, working across Japanese, English, and mixed-language projects. Below, four current members share their experience in their own words.

40
Students & staff (approx.)
学生・スタッフ(おおよそ)
30
Undergraduates
学部生
10
Graduate researchers, adjunct faculty & visiting/senior researchers
大学院生、客員教員、客員・上席研究員
8
Nationalities
出身国
180+
Alumni
OB・OG
2013
Founded
設立年(立命館大学にて)
Keio since 2016

Members' voice

Yuki Miyazaki / 宮崎悠生

Yuki Miyazaki

Atlas株式会社 代表取締役

Founder & CEO, Atlas, Inc.

自社技術である Atlas Technology(様々な役割に特化したAIを簡単に連携・差し替えできるAtlas社のAI技術規格)を活用し、企業や自治体との共同研究・共同開発を行う。代表的なサービスとして、位置情報と音声技術を駆使したガイドAI『Melody』があり、複数の観光地域で導入・運用中。

Leads joint research and product development with companies and local governments, leveraging Atlas Technology — Atlas's proprietary AI standard for orchestrating and swapping role-specialised AI agents. Flagship service is Melody, a guide AI combining geolocation and voice technology, currently deployed across several tourist regions.

琴坂研究会には一年生の頃から所属し、四学期学んだ後、在籍中に起業しました。会社の舵取りで論理と直感を行き来する日々のなかで、論理の基礎を作り上げてくれたのは間違いなく琴坂研だと思っています。
I joined the Kotosaka Seminar in my first year and, after four semesters, founded my company while still enrolled. Steering the business means moving back and forth between logic and intuition every day — and it was the seminar, without a doubt, that built the logical foundations I now rely on.
atlas-tech.co.jp →
Tamaki Kojima / 小島環

Tamaki Kojima

株式会社エンターファイナンス 代表取締役

Founder & CEO, Enter Finance, Inc.

慶應義塾大学総合政策学部1年。高校2年次に小中学生向け金融教育をテーマに株式会社エンターファイナンスを創業。小学生から投資が学べるボードゲーム「金融すごろく」を開発・販売。次世代教育分野へ活動の幅を広げ、客員起業家として「トラべリンガル」も開発中。

First-year undergraduate at Keio University's Faculty of Policy Management. Founded Enter Finance, Inc. in her second year of high school with a focus on financial education for elementary and middle-school students. Designed and sells Kinyū-Sugoroku, a board game that lets even elementary-school students learn investing. Now expanding into the broader next-generation education space and developing Travel-lingual as a visiting entrepreneur.

琴坂研究会は、経営戦略の理論からケーススタディまで基礎・応用を学べる環境です。事業相談会で先生やゼミ生から助言をいただき、学んだことを直ぐに実務に活かせる「躬行実践」を体現したい起業家にとって最高の場だと感じています。
The Kotosaka Seminar is an environment where you can learn the foundations and applications of strategic management — from theory through to case work. The business-consultation sessions, where Sensei and seminar members offer advice on your venture, let you put what you have just learned straight into practice. For an entrepreneur who wants to embody practice in deed, it is the best place I can imagine.
enterfinance.studio.site →
Nikita Newcomb / ニキータ・ニューカム

Nikita Newcomb

慶應義塾大学大学院 政策・メディア研究科 博士課程

PhD Candidate, Keio University Graduate School of Media and Governance

慶應義塾大学およびイリノイ大学にて修士号を取得。米国・ロシアでのコンサルティング業務を経て、現在は日本のロボティクス企業で経営戦略およびグローバル・ファイナンスに従事。研究関心は経営戦略論と行動科学の交差領域であり、AI、企業・起業家環境における認知傾向、高ストレス・高不確実性下における戦略的意思決定を主な対象とする。

Earned master's degrees from Keio University and the University of Illinois. Previously worked in consulting in the United States and Russia, and is currently working in strategy management and global finance at a robotics company in Japan. His research focuses on strategic management and behavioural science, with a particular interest in AI, cognitive tendencies in corporate and entrepreneurial environments, and strategic decisions under high stress and uncertainty.

琴坂先生やゼミ生はもちろん、毎学期招かれるゲスト・スピーカーやビジネスセッションを通じて、琴坂研究会は学生どうしが互いに学び合い、学術面と実務面の双方で自らを鍛え育てていく環境を生んでいます。理論と実務を結びつけ、最先端の研究を切り拓き、学問と現実のビジネスをつなぎたい人にとって、これ以上ない場所だと感じます。
From Kotosaka-sensei and seminar members to the guest speakers and business sessions held each semester, the Kotosaka Seminar creates an environment where students learn from one another and develop themselves to grow both academically and professionally. It is a truly great place for those who want to combine theory with practice, to develop cutting-edge research, and to connect academic knowledge with real businesses.
Bektur Iaroshenko / ベクトゥル・ヤロシェンコ

Bektur Iaroshenko

五常・アンド・カンパニー株式会社 経営企画・PMIインターン / ポルシェジャパン株式会社 Products & Services インターン(着任予定)

Corporate Planning & PMI Intern, Gojo & Company, Inc. / Incoming Products & Services Intern, Porsche Japan

慶應義塾大学総合政策学部 B2 英語ゼミ在籍。新興国でマイクロファイナンス事業をグローバルに展開する五常・アンド・カンパニー株式会社にて、経営企画および PMI(Post-Merger Integration)のインターンとして従事。次の挑戦として、ポルシェジャパン株式会社の Products & Services 部門にもインターンとして参画予定。

Currently in the B2 English Track of the Kotosaka Seminar at Keio University, Faculty of Policy Management. Works as a Corporate Planning and PMI intern at Gojo & Company, Inc. — a global microfinance group operating across emerging markets — and is incoming as a Products and Services intern at Porsche Japan.

IBERは知的好奇心を存分に発揮できる場所です。組織論やAIから、金融市場の未来や人事管理まで、研究テーマの自由度が非常に高い。テーマが何であれ、琴坂先生は必ず自分には思いつかなかった新しい視点を提示してくださる。そしてIBERのメンバーは、議論しても授業外で過ごしても本当に刺激的で楽しい人ばかりです。
IBER is a great place to harness your intellectual curiosity. It provides great freedom in research topics — from organizational theory and AI, to the future of financial markets and HR management. No matter what your topic is, Professor Kotosaka is always ready to provide a new perspective I have never thought of. The IBER members are electric people who are fun to debate with and hang out outside the classroom.

Individual profiles and the full member list are shared privately with accepted applicants and partners. Above are members who have agreed to be featured publicly.

iv. ALUMNI · OB/OG

Where alumni go next.

Our alumni take on a wide range of paths — strategy consulting, overseas graduate study, founding their own ventures — and are now active around the world.

Voices from alumni

Takuma Sakamoto / 坂本拓馬

Takuma Sakamoto

株式会社ジャパンM&Aインキュベーション 代表取締役COO

President & COO, Japan M&A Incubation, Inc.

メリルリンチ日本証券(現BofA証券)資本市場部門・投資銀行部門にて、M&Aおよび資金調達業務に従事。その後、米系PEファンドのカーライルに参画。国際航業・TOTOKUの非常勤監査役の兼務に加え AutoForm を担当。2024年5月にジャパンM&Aインキュベーションを共同創業。

Worked on M&A and capital-raising transactions at Merrill Lynch Japan Securities (now BofA Securities), in both the Capital Markets and Investment Banking divisions. Subsequently joined the U.S. private-equity fund Carlyle, where he covered AutoForm while concurrently serving as a non-executive auditor at Kokusai Kogyo and TOTOKU. Co-founded Japan M&A Incubation in May 2024.

起業をして、数多くの「10年後の戦友」となった琴坂研の仲間に支えられながら、日々格闘しています。志高い学生の皆様とご一緒できることを心から楽しみにしています。
Founding and running a company, I rely day after day on the seminar peers who have become my "comrades-in-arms ten years on." I look forward, sincerely, to working alongside ambitious students.
jmai.co.jp →
Ryusei Kumazawa / 熊澤龍生

Ryusei Kumazawa

nook株式会社 代表取締役CEO

Founder & CEO, nook Inc.

「二次流通×AIで奇跡の出会いを日常に」をミッションに掲げる nook 株式会社を2023年に創業。出会いに特化した二次流通マーケットプレイス ReList を運営。東大IPC 1stRound や incubatecamp など複数のアクセラレーターに採択。慶應義塾大学総合政策学部卒。2023年度未踏アドバンスト採択。

Founded nook Inc. in 2023 with the mission of "turning miraculous encounters into the everyday, through the secondary market and AI." Runs ReList, a secondary-market marketplace built around the encounter itself. Selected for multiple accelerator programmes including UTokyo IPC 1stRound and incubatecamp. Graduate of Keio University's Faculty of Policy Management. Selected for METI's MITOU Advanced 2023 programme.

視座の高さを共有しつつ、やっていることはバラバラな学生と教授が集まるゼミです。尊敬しあえて愛着の湧く仲間ができて、「将来一緒にデカいことしようぜ」なんて子供みたいな約束が現実になります。
A seminar where students and faculty share the same high vantage point yet pursue completely different things. You make peers you can both respect and feel real attachment to — and the kind of childlike promise that "we'll go and do something massive together someday" actually becomes reality.
Ayumi Yamamoto / 山本愛優美

Ayumi Yamamoto

e-lamp.社 代表取締役

Founder & CEO, e-lamp.

2022年にコミュニケーション・テクノロジースタートアップ e-lamp. 社を創業。2023年に慶應発スタートアップに認定、同年6月にベンチャーキャピタル ANRI よりシードラウンド資金調達。慶應義塾大学環境情報学部卒業ののち、2023年春から同大学院メディアデザイン研究科に進学し HCI 領域 Social Biofeedback 研究に従事。

Founded the communication-technology startup e-lamp. in 2022. Recognised as a Keio-affiliated startup in 2023, and closed a seed round from venture-capital firm ANRI in June of the same year. Graduated from Keio University's Faculty of Environment and Information Studies; in spring 2023 progressed to Keio's Graduate School of Media Design, where she works on Social Biofeedback research within the HCI field.

まさに理論と実務の往来をさせていただいた空間です。同時に、琴坂研に集まる人たちのコミュニティは素晴らしいと思います。今後も起業エコシステム研究を続けたいと思っており、引き続きお世話になります。
Truly a space that let me move back and forth between theory and practice. At the same time, the community of people who gather at the Kotosaka Seminar is, I think, exceptional. I plan to continue my research on the entrepreneurial ecosystem and look forward to staying connected with the seminar going forward.
Rania Manayra / ラニア・マナイラ

Rania Manayra

五常・アンド・カンパニー株式会社 Corporate Planning & PMI Officer / Gojo Foundation Executive Team

Corporate Planning & PMI Officer, Gojo & Company, Inc. / Executive Team, Gojo Foundation

慶應義塾大学総合政策学部 B2 英語ゼミ卒業。在学中から、新興国でマイクロファイナンス事業をグローバルに展開する五常・アンド・カンパニー株式会社にインターンとして参画し、卒業後も同社の中核メンバーとして経営企画と PMI(Post-Merger Integration)を担当。合わせて Gojo Foundation の Executive Team として、財団による金融包摂・ジェンダー平等・貧困削減への取り組みにも携わる。

Graduated from the B2 English Track of the Kotosaka Seminar at Keio University, Faculty of Policy Management. Joined Gojo & Company, Inc. — a global microfinance group operating across emerging markets — as an intern during her undergraduate studies, and after graduation continued as a core member of the firm, leading corporate planning and post-merger integration. Concurrently serves on the Executive Team of the Gojo Foundation, supporting its work on financial inclusion, gender equality, and child poverty alleviation.

IBER は SFC の中でもおそらく最も学術的に厳しい研究会であり、学び、成長するには絶好の場だと思います。学術面にとどまらず、ここで出会う人々が際立っています。私はここで、互いに挑み合い、支え合いながら成長していく、最も野心的な仲間と友人たちに出会いました。
IBER is probably the most academically rigorous research seminar at SFC, making it a great place to learn and grow. Beyond academics, the people really stand out. Here, I met some of the most ambitious peers and friends who constantly challenge and support each other's growth.
gojo.co →