Special Lecture Held by the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business for Sophia University Students

On November 17, a special lecture by a UC Berkeley professor was hosted for our students by the Office of Future Design Platform at Sophia University (hereafter, Sophia) in collaboration with UC Berkeley Executive Education (hereafter, Berkeley Exec Ed) and the Haas School of Business (hereafter, Berkeley Haas) jointly referred to as UC Berkeley, leveraged the opportunity provided by the short-term business course for companies, “Innovation Boot Camp,” launched last year.

UC Berkeley is the top public university in the United States, leading the world in a wide range of fields including business, science, and technology. The university has produced over 100 Nobel laureates and is also the university that has produced the most startups among all U.S. universities.

Berkeley Haas, founded in 1898 as the university’s business school, ranked third in the U.S. MBA rankings published by Bloomberg Businessweek in September 2025. The school is well known for world-class faculty with extensive Silicon Valley expertise and their cutting-edge innovation and business research. Notably, the late Ms. Sadako Ogata, Professor Emeritus at Sophia (former President of JICA), earned her Ph.D. at UC Berkeley.

We welcomed Professor Saikat Chaudhuri from UC Berkeley on that day, and he delivered a lecture titled “Future of Organizations in the Age of AI: Deploying Artificial Intelligence: Unlocking the Strategic Potential, Avoiding Pitfalls, and Getting the Organization Ready.” This special lecture drew over 300 participants, including approximately 250 students from dozens of countries at Sophia. Even before the start, the venue was filled with anticipation.

Vice President for Community Engagement, Professor Nobuyuki Kanzawa opened the event by addressing the students: “Today, I would like this to be an interactive experience created together with you, not a one-way lecture. I hope you will connect what you learn here to your own career development.”

After greetings from Berkeley Exec Ed CEO Mr. Mike Rielly, Professor Chaudhuri took the podium. “It is precisely the younger generation like you who will drive future innovation, and universities are the wellspring of that innovation,” he stated, delivering a powerful message, and adding a personal touch for each student ready to shape the future.

During the lecture, Professor Chaudhuri discussed global AI research and industry trends, as well as case studies of organizational transformation and operational improvements at companies such as LEGO, Domino, and Amazon’s. He explained the potential of AI adoption, as well as the underlying challenges and pitfalls, providing numerous concrete examples to support his points. Students listened attentively and took notes throughout.

Furthermore, Professor Chaudhuri presented a unique framework for evaluating companies’ technical and organizational readiness for AI adoption. The audience frequently nodded in agreement, appreciating the valuable, practical insights.

In response to the question raised by Specially Appointed Professor Nishiguchi at Sophia, “What skills will be necessary to thrive in the coming era?” Professor Chaudhuri stated: “While proficiency in using AI is certainly important, expanding one’s knowledge through reading, art, history, international relations, and more is paramount. As AI evolves, the liberal arts will likely become an academic field whose value rises once again.” This remark resonated deeply with the audience, becoming a highlight of the lecture.

The lecture also featured interactive discussions, including a Q&A session held during the presentation. Many students raised their hands one after another to ask questions. Even after the lecture ended, a long line formed around Professor Chaudhuri as enthusiastic students sought to exchange views in person.
The post-lecture survey conducted for students received an incredible high rating of 4.7 out of 5. Feedback included comments such as:
“My way of thinking has changed significantly in the era of AI, especially generative AI. I believe I have broadened the range of key points to consider when applying AI in business and gained new perspectives.”
“I truly realized the immense potential AI holds for solving social issues and creating new value, which was very rewarding. Additionally, I found it insightful that leveraging AI requires not only technical indicators but also an organizational culture capable of fully embracing it.”

The lecture offered participants significant inspiration and insight into the present and future of a world changing due to AI.

Sophia is a member of the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN), a nonprofit organization that promotes the development of entrepreneurial ecosystems worldwide. This lecture was one of the events held in Japan for Global Entrepreneurship Week, which GEN organizes in approximately 200 countries worldwide.

Many of GEN’s events are online programs open to students and the general public. Please refer to the details of each program here.
(All programs are conducted in English. When searching for online events, select “Virtual” under Activity.)