More students able to study abroad thanks to $100,000 Yagi gift

Broad alumnus and Japanese businessman Yuzo Yagi (MBA '67) recently gave $100,000 to the Business Study Abroad Endowment so more Broad College students can study around the globe, which is an important part of the college’s focus on international education.

“I am very thankful to MSU and what I learned while I was here,” Yagi says. “The education I received at MSU has been instrumental to my business decisions- from marketing and brand management to the principles of supply chain management.”

During the 2009-2010 academic year, 391 business undergraduate students and 123 MBA and MS students were able to study abroad, representing 20 percent of all Michigan State University students who did so. They studied on all seven continents in more than 30 countries. However, cost can be an obstacle for many students who wish to study abroad. Thanks to Yagi’s gift and the Business Study Abroad Endowment, business students can obtain scholarships for study abroad and continue to represent the highest percentage of participants in MSU’s program.

The son of a small textile trader in Japan, Yagi joined his father’s business, Yagi Tsusho, in 1967, after graduating with an MBA from MSU. He was named president and CEO of the company in 1986. Yagi Tsusho is one of the leading companies in Japan in importing and distributing European and American fashion goods.

During a recent MSU visit, Yagi took time to visit the Broad College and presented a guest lecture on campus titled, “Business structure in Asian countries and possible melt down of the Chinese economy in the near future.” He discussed several factors he believes could be serious defects in the Chinese economy that could prevent long-term growth.