Cross-border learning program "Challenge Lab: Social Issues Exploration Mission" now available

Japan Management Association Management Center Co., Ltd. (JMAM) (President and CEO: Shiro Chō, Chuo-ku, Tokyo) has launched its new cross-border learning program, "Challenge Lab: Social Issues Exploration Mission," developed in partnership with the Japan NPO Center (JNPOC). This program, offered through JMAM's Human Resource Development Support Division, which provides educational and training services for corporations and individuals, became available in May 2026.

The program is an experiential training course that uses social issues collected by the Japan NPO Center through its "Challenge Lab" initiative as its subject matter. It is designed to be implemented within companies, starting from as little as half a day, making it easier for businesses to introduce cross-border learning. Daiko Securities Business Co., Ltd., an early adopter, utilized this program to foster "the ability to discover issues and formulate questions independently," which is essential in the era of generative AI. Following the program, effects such as "cultivating a proactive attitude" and "a sense of progress in improving issue-discovery skills" have been confirmed.

JMAM positions this program as an "entry point" to cross-border learning and aims to support companies in resolving their human resource development challenges and nurturing self-reliant individuals.

Development Background

In recent years, with the rapid advancements in AI technology and changes in the market environment, companies have placed greater emphasis on the ability to perceive issues from new perspectives, beyond existing operations and internal assumptions. Particularly with the widespread adoption of generative AI, the importance of not only finding answers to given problems but also discovering issues and formulating questions independently has increased. Consequently, there is a growing need in the field of human resource development for learning opportunities that allow employees to gain new perspectives, difficult to acquire through daily work or internal training, and to re-examine their own companies and jobs. Cross-border learning, which exposes individuals to external values and social issues, is gaining attention as one such learning option.

While cross-border learning is recognized as an effective human resource development method, challenges related to time and cost have hindered its adoption. Furthermore, the need for an "entry point" to help employees understand the value of cross-border experiences was also pointed out by those in charge of human resource development.

To make cross-border learning more accessible for a wider range of companies and employees, JMAM partnered with the Japan NPO Center to develop "Challenge Lab: Social Issues Exploration Mission" and launched it as a new program under its "Learning Vacation®" cross-border learning initiative.

What is "Challenge Lab: Social Issues Exploration Mission"?

This program is an experiential training course designed by JMAM, leveraging its extensive experience in human resource development support. It uses "Challenge Lab," a project developed by the Japan NPO Center in collaboration with Dentsu B. Team, which compiles and visualizes social issues gathered from a network of over 50,000 NPOs nationwide in the format of "XX Problem." The curriculum incorporates elements of "reflection opportunities" where participants connect social issues with their own experiences and values, "dialogue design" to identify connections with their company's business and organizational challenges, and "organizational feedback" to bring learnings back to the workplace.

The social issues addressed in the program can be tailored to the specific development objectives. Participants can choose themes closely related to their company's business or purpose, or select topics deliberately distant from their business to broaden their horizons. The curriculum, which involves participants voting on issues they feel are relevant and discussing them, creates an environment conducive to dialogue with a strong sense of ownership.

Another key feature is its flexibility, with the program implementable within a company in as little as half a day. This design makes it easy for companies new to cross-border learning to expand participation and integrate it with existing training programs.

JMAM provides comprehensive support to resolve human resource development challenges. Beyond this program, JMAM offers further cross-border opportunities, such as follow-up programs for existing cross-border learning initiatives, on-site visits, and workshops utilizing the network of its partner, the Japan NPO Center. They also provide human resource development programs for product and service development based on social issues.

We encourage you to use this program as an "entry point" to cross-border learning to foster innovation and develop self-reliant individuals throughout your organization.

Program Overview

● Program Name: "Challenge Lab: Social Issues Exploration Mission"

● Expected Effects

Development of Self-Reliant Individuals Fosters an attitude of proactive learning and question formulation, supporting the development of individuals who can act autonomously even when faced with unknown challenges.

Broadened Perspectives and Enhanced Creativity Breaks down fixed notions by exposing individuals to external values and social issues, while also providing an opportunity to re-examine the organization's resources and strengths from a new perspective.

Expansion of Human Resource Development Initiatives Allows for cross-border learning opportunities for a larger number of employees due to its short duration and low-impact design. Enables expansion to employees who previously faced time or geographical constraints in participating in cross-border learning.

Transformation of Organizational Culture "Insights" and "questions" gained through learning are brought back to the workplace, contributing to the formation of a culture that encourages dialogue and challenges in daily operations.

● Curriculum Features

Utilizes "Living Primary Information" as Subject Matter The Japan NPO Center, with its network of over 50,000 NPOs nationwide, collects frontline issues that are not yet widely recognized through interviews with various organizations. These issues are then translated into the "XX Problem" format through sessions with Dentsu copywriters, making them relatable to participants and fostering a sense of ownership.

Selection of Issue Themes Based on Learning Objectives Issues are collected by category, such as "Children," "Food," "Culture," "Environment," etc. Participants can select issues to address based on their human resource development challenges and learning objectives. By delving into issues closely related to their company's business, they can promote "purpose penetration" and "redefinition of business value." Alternatively, by engaging with issues deliberately distant from their business, they can "explore seeds for new businesses" beyond existing frameworks. Furthermore, JMAM can provide support from research to implementation for "unique issues" tailored to an organization's strategy, beyond the existing categories.

Design that Evokes "Desire to Solve!" Through Empathy and Structural Understanding Starting with familiar themes generates empathy, and by understanding the "structure" of the problem with high resolution, it fosters a sense of ownership, leading to the feeling of "I might be able to change this" or "I want to solve this with my own hands." Through a learning experience that encourages active immersion, pure curiosity and motivation are stimulated, promoting the generation of new ideas and insights from diverse perspectives.

● Curriculum Example (Half-Day Session)

<Duration> 4 hours (Morning or Afternoon)

<Optimal Number of Participants> Approximately 20 people per class

<Time / Curriculum>

(0:00)

1. Orientation

2. About the Japan NPO Center / About Challenge Lab

3. Sharing "XX Problems"

4. What does it mean to think about problems structurally?

5. Let's vote on the problems that concern you.

6. Let's try to solve the problems that concern you.

7. Let's share our ideas for action.

8. Let's create your own problem.

9. Let's solve your own problem.

(4:00)

10. Closing

● About the Japan NPO Center

Established in 1996, the Japan NPO Center serves as an infrastructure organization for the private non-profit sector. Its mission is to strengthen the social foundation of NPOs and establish new partnerships with corporations and government as co-responsible parties in building civil society. Through collaboration and cooperation with diverse stakeholders, it undertakes numerous projects including information support, consulting and coordination, exchange and training, research and policy advocacy, and networking. https://www.jnpoc.ne.jp/

● About "Challenge Lab"

Established in 2018 through a collaboration between the Japan NPO Center and Dentsu B. Team. This project collects social issues faced by NPOs and NGOs on themes such as "Children," "Food," "Culture," "Gender," and "Environment." Copywriters then edit these issues, giving them names like "XX Problem," to make them appealing and encourage people to solve them. It is a project aimed at discovering lesser-known issues and sparking solutions to social problems. https://qadailab.jnpoc.ne.jp/

Cross-border Learning "Challenge Lab: Social Issues Exploration Mission"

Details here: https://www.jmam.co.jp/hrm/course/training/lw01.html Inquiries here: https://www.jmam.co.jp/brochure/1281864_2381.html

JMAM's Cross-border Learning "Learning Vacation®"

JMAM's cross-border learning program "Learning Vacation®" is a practical program that immerses participants in "away" environments where their usual affiliations are not recognized. It goes beyond mere non-ordinary experiences or passive input, inducing conflict and deep questioning through "co-creative team working" to tackle problems without clear solutions. Its most significant feature is the support provided by specialized staff to ensure the "organizational feedback" of perspectives gained in the cross-border experience to transform company operations. It directly links individual mindset changes to the updating of organizational culture and fosters next-generation leaders. Details here: https://www.jmam.co.jp/hrm/service/ekkyo/ * "Learning Vacation®" is a registered trademark of Japan Management Association Management Center Co., Ltd.

Case Study Interview: Early Adopters

【Implementation Overview】

Implementing Company: Daiko Securities Business Co., Ltd.

Date and Time: May 13, 2026 (Wed) 9:15 AM - 11:45 AM

Participating Departments/Number of People: Digital Society Business Department (5 people), New hires for FY2026 (15 people)

Introduction Objective: To develop "issue-discovery talent" and foster social perspective in response to the rise of generative AI.

【Background of Implementation】

Daiko Securities Business Co., Ltd. and its group company, DSB Information System Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as DSB Information System), have identified a critical need to shift from "personnel who solve given problems" to "personnel who discover problems and formulate questions independently," driven by environmental changes such as the rapid progress of generative AI. This direction aligns with their vision "DSB Group Vision 2057," which looks towards their 100th anniversary, and necessitates fostering awareness of social issues from an early stage for young employees. While the subject matter for the "Project Activity" as part of the new employee training for both companies primarily focused on "proposals for internal issue resolution" until last year, this year saw a revision of the content to aim for the development of skills in perceiving and thinking about issues from a broader social perspective. Furthermore, the Digital Society Business Department, newly established at DSB Information System this year, also aims for "business creation originating from the resolution of social issues," requiring enhanced issue-discovery skills and insights from diverse perspectives. Against this backdrop, "Challenge Lab: Social Issues Exploration Mission" was introduced for new employees and employees of the Digital Society Business Department.

【Insights Gained Through Training】

It was particularly impressive to see new employees engage in discussions with a greater degree of proactivity than expected, perceiving issues based on their own experiences. It was also notable that all three groups of new employees chose the same social issue, demonstrating their ability to deepen their thinking around shared interests. They also realized that "everyday occurrences can be viewed as social issues by changing one's perspective," reinforcing the importance of looking at things from multiple angles. Moreover, for employees in the Digital Society Business Department, collaborating with new employees who were not yet influenced by the company or its operations provided a valuable opportunity to encounter flexible perspectives unburdened by preconceptions, leading to new insights and viewpoints.

【Implementation Effects and Future Potential】

We believe that implementing this training as an "entry point" for the project activities within the new employee training program has contributed to improving the overall quality of the project activities. In the project activities following the training, themes that incorporated social perspectives, such as youth loneliness and commuting challenges, were selected, and a proactive approach was fostered. The ability to perceive issues as personal concerns has increased, leading to high-quality results even within a short period. Furthermore, the importance of social issue-driven thinking has been shared within the Digital Society Business Department, and a sense of progress in improving issue-discovery skills has been felt. Moving forward, we will leverage this initiative for cross-departmental co-creation and new business exploration, and the entire organization will challenge itself towards creating new future-oriented value in collaboration with society and our customers.

Company Name

Daiko Securities Business Co., Ltd.

Established

May 13, 1957

Head Office Location

DSB Group Shiomi Building, 2-9-15 Shiomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo

Main Business Activities

Back office business, IT service business, Securities business

Company Overview

Daiko Securities Business is a company within the Nomura Research Institute (NRI) Group. It provides high-quality outsourcing services specializing in the securities and financial industries, handling a wide range of services including securities back-office operations, support for establishing securities firms, and financial product handling. With over 60 years of experience, it supports financial institutions in improving operational efficiency and promoting DX.

Interview Respondents

Mr. Kojima, Deputy Manager, Human Resources Department, Talent Strategy Division, Daiko Securities Business Co., Ltd.

Mr. Kondo, Digital Society Business Department, DSB Information System Co., Ltd.

Japan Management Association Management Center (JMAM)

Established in 1991 as a spin-off from the Japan Management Association (JMA).

Its core businesses are the Learning Design Business (human resource development support, publishing) and the Time Design Business (planners such as NOLTY).

JMAM's purpose is "Accompanying Growth," and it acts as a partner that supports individual growth and guides them toward their desired state.

JMAM Corporate Site