Building the TOMODACHI Generation: Morgan Stanley Ambassadors Program

Building the TOMODACHI Generation: Morgan Stanley Ambassadors Program, is an intensive, two-week program designed for Japanese and American students with an interest in leadership training, cross-cultural exchange, and entrepreneurial approaches to addressing social challenges.

• For the press release 2016 on announcing Morgan Stanley becoming a sole sponsor of this program, click here
• For the press release 2019 on announcing Morgan Stanley continuing a sole sponsor of this program, click here
• For more information on Building the TOMODACHI Generation Programs from 2014-2016, click here

Building the TOMODACHI Generation: Morgan Stanley Ambassadors Program 2025

From August 3 to 19, 2025, the Building the TOMODACHI Generation: Morgan Stanley Ambassadors Program was held in Washington, D.C., bringing together nine university students from Japan and six from the United States. The program consisted of lectures, site visits, panel discussions, and interactive sessions with experienced professionals. Its aim was to deepen participants’ understanding of civil society and to learn about strengthening cross-sector partnerships in order to address social issues in both Japan and the United States.
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Building the TOMODACHI Generation: Morgan Stanley Ambassadors Program 2024

From August 4 to 20, 2024, the Building the TOMODACHI Generation: Morgan Stanley Ambassadors Program was held in Washington, D.C., with the participation of nine Japanese university students and five U.S. university students. It is a leadership program focused on learning about and developing cross-sector partnerships to strengthen civil society as a tool for addressing ongoing social challenges in developed nations such as the U.S. and Japan. It consisted of lectures, site visits, panel discussions, and interactive sessions with experienced professionals.
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Building the TOMODACHI Generation: Morgan Stanley Ambassadors Program 2023

From August 6 to 18, 2023, the U.S. training of Building the TOMODACHI Generation: Morgan Stanley Ambassadors Program was held. Nine Japanese students and six U.S. students from universities across their respective countries gathered in Washington, D.C., where they studied civil society, cross-sector partnerships, and methods to leverage that understanding to address social challenges in Japan and the United States.

On August 22, the Japanese participants attended a report out session with representatives from the program sponsor Morgan Stanley. The U.S. participants also joined via Zoom where they spoke of how impactful such a short-term program had been, and their presence showed the deep connections both U.S. and Japanese participants created during the program. Read More>>

Building the TOMODACHI Generation: Morgan Stanley Ambassadors Program 2022

From August 8 to August 19, 2022, Building the TOMODACHI Generation: Morgan Stanley Ambassadors Program was held after a two and a half year hiatus due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Eight university students from Japan and six U.S. students participated in a two-week program in Washington, D.C., where they studied civil society, cross-sector partnerships, and how to leverage that understanding to address social challenges in Japan and the United States with students in the U.S.

In the first week of the program, students had discussions with experienced professionals, then in the second week, put their knowledge into practice by developing an innovative civil society initiative that sought to tackle a current problem in Japan. Read More>>

Building the TOMODACHI Generation: Morgan Stanley Ambassadors Program 2021

The Building the TOMODACHI Generation: Morgan Stanley Ambassadors Program Alumni Boot Camp took place between March to May 2021. 154 people, including staff, participated in the 8 sessions for TOMODACHI alumni.

Under normal circumstances, Japanese university students travel to the U.S. for two weeks as part of the Building the TOMODACHI Generation: Morgan Stanley Ambassadors Program. They undergo training in order to address social challenges in both Japanese and American societies respectively. However, due to the coronavirus, an online program open to all TOMODACHI alumni was offered this year instead. A wide range of topics was discussed in the sessions including career selection and skills that are useful in the workplace. In each session, accomplished professionals working in the U.S. and Japan shared their knowledge and expertise with the participants. Read More>>

Building the TOMODACHI Generation: Morgan Stanley Ambassadors Program 2020

The seventh annual Building the TOMODACHI Generation: Morgan Stanley Ambassadors Program began on February 29, 2020 when 12 students from universities across Japan flew from Tokyo to Washington, D.C.. These students participated in a two-week workshop that focused on developing an in-depth understanding of civil society and cross-sector partnerships, and enhanced their ability to address social issues in the United States and Japan. Nine American participants joined the Japanese students during the program and worked together to create an initiative to resolve an ongoing social challenge in Japan. Read More>>

Building the TOMODACHI Generation: Morgan Stanley Ambassadors Program 2019

The Building the TOMODACHI Generation: Morgan Stanley Ambassadors Program successfully concluded in early March after two weeks of intense leadership training. This year, the program welcomed 19 college students (twelve Japanese and seven Americans), who participated in a series of lectures, panel discussions, site visits, and interactive discussion sessions with experienced professionals from government institutions, distinguished nonprofits, and corporate foundations, while enhancing their critical teamwork skills and cross-cultural understanding. Read More>>

Building the TOMODACHI Generation: Morgan Stanley Ambassadors Program 2018

From February 17, 2018, 12 Japanese students visited Washington, D.C., for two weeks to attend the Building the TOMODACHI Generation: Morgan Stanley Ambassadors Program. The 12 Japanese students and 9 American students spent two weeks together for cultural exchange and leadership development and ultimately learned about a multitude of cross-sector partnerships designed to solve various social challenges.

In the first section of the program, the students learned the theoretical and practical concepts of civil society through lectures and panel discussions. In addition, the students learned about social issues in the Tohoku region to deepen their understanding of the role of civil society in the U.S. and Japan. The students were divided into three teams, with four Japanese students and three American students in a team, to develop a project that leverages the strengths of civil society to resolve persistent issues in the Tohoku region. Read More>>

Building the TOMODACHI Generation: Morgan Stanley Ambassadors Program 2017

The Building the TOMODACHI Generation: Morgan Stanley Ambassadors Program successfully concluded in early March after two weeks of intense discussions on civil society. Generously funded by Morgan Stanley, this program was implemented in partnership between The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars (TWC) and the U.S.-Japan Research Institute (USJI). The program aims to develop leadership and promote cultural exchange by learning about and developing models of cross-sector partnerships to address social challenges. This year, the program welcomed 21 college students (nine Americans and twelve Japanese), who participated in panel discussions and site visits while enhancing critical teamwork skills and cross-cultural understanding. Read More>>