Harvard Club of Japan

Japan's 'Global Talent Gap'? The Role of Firms in Attracting and Retaining Skilled Migrants

Hilary Holbrow is a Fulbright Graduate Research Fellow & PhD Candidate in Sociology at Cornell Univ. and International Research Fellow at Canon Institute for Global Studies. She formerly was Research Assistant at Harvard's US-Japan Program.

National governments and companies in East Asia, North America, and Europe increasingly compete for the global knowledge workers necessary to sustain a robust twenty-first century economy. This competition is of particularly pressing concern in Japan, where a declining population and increased international competition threaten long-term economic prospects. And yet, Japan struggles to attract and retain skilled migrants in the desired numbers. This talk looks beyond national-level policies to examine how firms have dealt with the crisis. It will illuminate the positive and negative consequences of firms' employment policies on Japan's ability to benefit from skilled migration, and examines the effects of these policies on foreign workers themselves.

DATE and TIME:  June 3^rd Wednesday, 7:00 – 9:00 pm (Doors open at 18:30pm.)

PLACE: Roppongi Hills Club, 51 floor Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku 

Admission 5,000 yen includes buffet dinner with cash bar for all beverages.

REGISTRATION: Please use the form right on the right side of this page.

Please register by May 31. All cancellations after that date and no-shows will be invoiced. Your understanding is appreciated. 

SPEAKER BIO:

• Hilary Holbrow is a Fulbright Graduate Research Fellow and Ph.D. Candidate at in the Sociology Department of Cornell University. For the 2014-2015 academic year, she holds appointments as an International Research Fellow at the Canon Institute for Global Studies and as a Visiting Scholar at Sophia University. Her current research focuses on how Japanese firms integrate highly skilled foreign workers, and how these firms can create a positive work environment for employees of all national backgrounds. As the global competition for skilled immigrants increases, this research illuminates the role of the workplace in countries' ability to attract and retain skilled foreign workers.


• Prior to entering Cornell University, Ms. Holbrow worked as a Research Assistant at Harvard University's Program on U.S.-Japan Relations, as a Coordinator for International Relation for Japanese local government in Okinawa, and as a Press Assistant at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, DC. In addition to the Fulbright, she has received research support and recognition from U.S. National Science Foundation, the Japan Foundation, the Blakemore Foundation, and the Center for Economy and Society and the East Asia Program at Cornell University.