Initiation of Collaboration with the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce on “Community Support and Small Business Assistance”
On Tuesday, June 10, our university welcomed President Randy Peers, Senior Vice President Dina Rabiner, and Global Affairs Specialist Nayun Ko from the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce (BCC) in New York, and launched a collaborative initiative focused on “community support and small business assistance.”
Up to now, our university has deepened partnerships with local shopping streets and regional communities through the development of the Gamall Marche, based in Sugamo, Tokyo. Meanwhile, the BCC has been actively supporting small businesses in the Brooklyn area and working to revitalize the local economy through the “Brooklyn Made” brand. Based on the shared philosophies and achievements of both parties, this relationship was established in conjunction with the opening of our university’s New York–Brooklyn Satellite Campus.
On the day of the event, our university introduced an overview of the institution and its initiatives in the Sugamo area, while the BCC explained the characteristics of the Brooklyn region and the activities of the Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, Chairman Hiroyuki Watanabe and Executive Director Go Ishii from the Toshima Branch of the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry participated, providing reports on the current state of Toshima Ward and the Chamber’s initiatives and challenges. This was followed by an exchange of opinions aimed at concrete future collaboration.
Afterward, a field visit was conducted in the Sugamo area, including tours of the Gamall Marche and Gamall Shigakutei, as well as visits to the Sugamo Jizo-dori Shopping Street and the Sugamo Station Shopping Street, allowing the guests to experience local commercial activity firsthand.
Based on these discussions, we will strengthen our cooperative framework toward conducting test marketing of “Brooklyn Made” products in Sugamo. Furthermore, we will continue discussions to develop activities linked to educational programs in New York in the next academic year, and work to concretize plans for community support and small business assistance.
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Gamall Marche:
An antenna shop operated mainly by our university students, introducing specialty products from municipalities across Japan with which the university collaborates, based on a vision of coexistence with regional communities, and presenting these products in Sugamo.
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Gamall Shigakutei:
A unique café/classroom jointly operated by rakugo performer Shirara Tatekawa (Visiting Researcher at our university’s Regional Vision Research Institute) and the university, where visitors can enjoy rakugo performances. Students are involved in store operations and menu development, providing a space that connects the appeal of Sugamo Jizo-dori and the world of rakugo.
ニューヨーク・ブルックリン商工会議所と「地域支援およびスモールビジネス支援」に関する連携を始動しました
6月10日（火）に本学はニューヨーク・ブルックリン商工会議所（Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce: BCC)より Randy Peers所長、Dina Rabiner副所長、Nayun Koグローバル担当をお迎えして「地域支援およびスモールビジネス支援」に関する連携を始動しました。
本学はこれまで、巣鴨を拠点としたガモールマルシェの展開を通じて、地元商店街や地方地域との連携を深めてきました。一方でBCCもブルックリン地域において、スモールビジネス支援を積極的に行い「Brooklyn Made」ブランドを通じて地域経済の活性化に取り組んでいます。こうした両者の活動に共通する理念と実績に基づき、本学のニューヨーク・ブルックリンサテライトキャンパスの開設を契機として、今回の関係構築が実現しました。
当日は、本学から大学の概要や巣鴨地域における取り組みについて紹介し、BCCからはブルックリンの地域特性や商工会議所の活動内容について説明がありました。さらに東京商工会議所豊島支部より渡邉裕之会長・石井豪事務局長も参加して、豊島区の現状や商工会議所の取り組みと課題について報告をいただき、今後の具体的な連携に向けた意見交換を行いました。
その後は巣鴨地域の現地視察を実施し、ガモールマルシェやガモール志學亭の見学に加えて巣鴨地蔵通り商店街および巣鴨駅前商店街を訪問。地域の商業活動を体感いただきました。
今回の意見交換を踏まえ、巣鴨での「Brooklyn Made」商品のテストマーケティングの実施に向けて、協力体制を強化します。さらに、次年度以降のニューヨーク・ブルックリンでの教育プログラムと連動した活動展開に向けて、協議を進めるとともに、地域支援・スモールビジネス支援計画を具体化してまいります。
