Microsoft Innovation Center Report 2010-2011 vol.11
Microsoft Student Partners – Summing Up Activities in 2010
Published: April 26, 2011
Japanese >>
March 5th, 2011, Shinagawa Headquarters, Microsoft Co. Ltd., Japan, (Minato, Tokyo)
Microsoft Student Partners (MSP) is a program for students designed to nurture human resources and increase opportunities to learn about the latest technologies. Students are the main actors who organize and run partner activities on a fiscal year basis. In 2010, MSP students ran a wide range of events such as seminars and lectures, and cooperated in Microsoft DreamSpark™ promotions and Student Presentation Award 2011. At a March meeting, Microsoft Student Partners summed up their activities in 2010.
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Not Just an Opportunity to Learn the Latest Technology: Student-Driven Support Program to Foster Management Skills
 | We entrust all of the program activities, from promoting the program itself to managing activities in each area, to the MSP students themselves so they gain new skills and become even more valuable human resources. |  | | Akinori Yaoka
(Academic Evangelist, Academic Evangelism Group, Developer and Platform Evangelism, Microsoft Co. Ltd., Japan)
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Microsoft Student Partners (MSP) is a program for students designed to nurture human resources and increase opportunities to learn about the latest technologies. Running on a fiscal year basis, the students themselves host workshops, seminars and other events through MSP.
“MSP is a marketing program, but thinking of it only in those terms does not accurately reflect the program’s great value,” explained Akinori Yaoka (Academic Evangelist, Academic Evangelism Group, Developer and Platform Evangelism, Microsoft Co. Ltd., Japan), “Utilizing Microsoft resources to their full extent releases much more power than a mere marketing engine. The core goal of this program is to uncover exceptional human resources. We entrust all of the activities, from promoting the program itself to managing activities in each area, to the MSP students themselves so they gain new skills and become even more valuable human resources.”
In MSP, students take the lead on activities while Microsoft Co. Ltd., Japan provides resources and activity support. Students also take the role of owners in the program. There are 3 Partner levels: MSPs who participate in events and the community; Active MSPs who actually run on-site events; and Core MSPs who manage all of these activities. Regional Leaders in the Kanto, Kansai and Kyushu areas manage events held in each local area.
“Owners and Regional Leaders are assigned to Core MSPs so that students will understand the importance of conducting events as an organization,” Yaoka continued, “If one leader handles all of a project’s tasks, the organization could not run a large number of projects. Students realize that having a leader stick to management alone gets more accomplished overall. We want the students to foster a new skill - project management.”
From Framework Design to Running the Program: Fostering New Skills Every Step of the Way
| | Regional leaders and Core MSPs fully understand the program’s purpose, and the management skills they gained will be invaluable to these future leaders. | | | Yuta Watanabe
(Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Waseda University Graduate School of Fundamental Science and Engineering)
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The MSP 2010 Owner was Yuta Watanabe (Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Waseda University Graduate School of Fundamental Science and Engineering). Watanabe registered in MSP after a Microsoft employee explained the program to him when he attended a 2009 launch party for Windows 7.
“With Mr. Yaoka of Microsoft, I started by thinking of a framework for MSP: what the program should be and what kinds of events we should hold,” recalled Watanabe, “and we started recruiting for Core MSP in 2010, and began to hold events in July.”
MSP’s main activity objective is to provide students with as many opportunities as possible to use IT to improve their skills and attempt new challenges, and Core MSPs are the main actors who plan and run events such as technology development workshops and intellectual property seminars. In 2010, MSP communicated the benefits of utilizing IT to approx. 10,000 students at 90 events.
Another goal of Microsoft Student Program is to provide Core MSPs an opportunity to grow by going through every step required to bring their own ideas to life.
“In MSP, students are responsible for running the program and managing each project,” noted MSP 2101 Owner Watanabe, “so Core MSPs understand the difficulty of management tasks first-hand. It is really hard to get your team members to take action if you don’t take action yourself. I explained the purpose of MSP, set goals together with each member on my team and worked hard to maintain every team member’s motivation. Regional Leaders and Core MSPs fully understand the program’s purpose, and the management skills they gained will be invaluable to these future leaders.”
Pioneering Spirit Brings Students from Different Backgrounds Together
| | Through a year of MSP activities, I have cultivated skills such as the ability to use infrastructure technologies and to manage an organization that will be useful in any industry. | | | Hiroshi Takano
(MSP 2010 Regional Leader in Kanto Area; Department of Media and Communications, Toyo University)
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Seventeen students took the role of Core MSP in 2010. But only Watanabe and several others had computer experience. To foster collaboration among students of such different backgrounds, the Regional Leader in Kansai Area took initiative and worked to be a role model who produced results.
“Not only did most of the Kansai Area team members have zero knowledge of new technologies,” said Atsuhiro Hagiwara (MSP 2010 Regional Leader in Kansai Area; Department of Design Engineering & Management, Kyoto Institute of Technology), “but many had also never been involved in student organizations. Being directly involved in every task of a project from start to finish, such as conceiving a plan from the ground up, managing a budget, and considering how to incorporate opinions received at hearings are not tasks students get opportunities to perform. I gained invaluable experience by examining the role of companies in society and my own role in activities of those companies.”
Meanwhile, a number of unique team members participating in the Kanto Area included those with experience in student organizations, student entrepreneurs, and international students. Though their backgrounds differed, everyone shared the same reason for participating: a desire “to try something new.”
“I had been active in student organization activities since I was a first-year,” said Hiroshi Takano (MSP 2010 Regional Leader in Kanto Area; Department of Media and Communications, Toyo University), “but I had been feeling like I reached the limits of student-led activities. Watanabe explained to me that I could “use IT to amplify the possibilities for a student” and I decided to get involved because I wanted to try something new. Through my experience in MSP in the last year, I took part in running a wide range of seminars and lectures, and cooperating in Microsoft DreamSpark™ promotions and the Student Presentation Award 2011. I have cultivated skills such as the ability to use infrastructure technologies and to manage an organization that will be useful in any industry.”
Working with a Company that Uses IT to Build a Better Society
| | Participating in MSP and communicating with many passionate employees of Microsoft, I realized that there is a company trying to use IT to build a better society. | | | Yasumasa Tsuge
(MSP 2010 Regional Leader in Kyushu Area; Department of Business Management, Faculty of Commerce, Fukuoka University)
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When the students were asked about their impressions of Microsoft before they participated in MSP, the universal response was, “a new technology business.” Each of them was interested in what kinds of technologies the company had and what kind of business it conducted as a globally active IT company.
“In the Kyushu Area I was in charge of,” reflected Yasumasa Tsuge (MSP 2010 Regional Leader in Kyushu Area; Department of Business Management, Faculty of Commerce, Fukuoka University), “few student organizations had ever worked together with a company on an activity. Until I joined MSP, I had never seen the “human side” of a company. But my impression completely changed after I participated in MSP and had opportunity to communicate with many passionate employees of Microsoft. I realized that even here in Japan, there is a company that cares about students, the local areas, and vulnerable social groups, and is trying to use IT to build a better society. I want work with other students to deliver the new aspects of Japanese students and students in the local areas to the society.”
At the March meeting, the students summarized their MSP activities in 2010. Plans are in the works to create a new organization and solicit Owners for fiscal year 2011. MSP participant applications are currently being accepted.
“The students who view this page are very likely thinking about attempting something new,” said Tsuge, “and I was like that, too. Have no qualms about words like ‘new technologies’ or ‘Microsoft.’ I encourage you to just take a leap and contact Core MSPs. You won’t believe how much your impression of Microsoft will change once you participate in MSP. Everyone on your team is a student just like you, and it is easy to relate. Together, you’ll be able to make the next thing happen.”
