In October, Kellogg School alumni in Tokyo benefited from an intensive “refresher” course, courtesy of the Kellogg MBA Update program. The event was the second time Kellogg faculty brought the popular program to Japan. The day-long course took place at the Goldman Sachs Training Center in Tokyo.

The course, designed to offer Kellogg alumni an effective way to stay current with management and leadership thought, featured Kellogg Professor Mohan Sawhney’s lecture titled, “The Future of Marketing,” followed by a panel discussion with Sawhney and Professor Jiro Kokuryo of the Keio Business School.

Because the business world never remains static, Kellogg School faculty constantly refine their courses to include the most current management research, and MBA Update is a way for the professors to present this material to alumni. Dean Dipak C. Jain said that in the last three years alone, Kellogg has added almost 50 new courses and several new majors.

“The spirit of continual innovation that is a central part of the Kellogg School philosophy enables us to offer valuable insights to our alumni long after graduation,” said Dean Jain. “MBA Update is one example of how we deliver on our promise of academic excellence.”

Jain noted that senior Kellogg faculty teach the MBA Update courses, which are designed to help participants grow personally and professionally.

In conjunction with traveling for the MBA Update, Jain joined Kellogg alumni in Japan for their annual meeting. Afterwards, participants gathered for sushi and sake to celebrate BusinessWeek’s ranking of the Kellogg School as the country’s No. 1 MBA program.

Tokyo alumni report having enjoyed these classroom and social activities so much that they are already planning a January event featuring a visit from Kellogg School Dean Emeritus Donald Jacobs.