What is the Matching Sponsorship Program?
The Matching Sponsorship Program is a program in which working adults sponsor students who wish to participate in the International Conference on Women in Business.
For High School and University Students
The International Conference for Women in Business is a unique opportunity for students to meet aspiring working adults and practice “diversity” fully for one day in order to experience how society benefits from it.
Participating every year since you were a student will bring great meaning to your life. Therefore, if you are a junior-high school student or older, you can participate at your own expense. In the past, there have been many students who have participated on their own by saving their own pocket money or through crowdfunding, or have participated along with their parents. We hope you will join us.
We also provide the “Matching Sponsor Program” that can be used once in seven years per student, from the first year of high school to the fourth year of university.
A Matching Sponsor is a member of society, usually a working adult, who supports ambitious students like you (Sponsees). When a Matching Sponsor who reads your essay and is impressed by your high aspirations wants to support you, she or he will not only pay your ICWB participation fee but will sit next to you in the Plenary session at the ICWB and listen to your aspirations and plans and offer you guidance.
Successful applicants will join an alumni club of more than 250 aspiring student participants, and you will meet other students, seniors, and juniors.
If you wish to participate in the Matching Sponsor program, you write an essay on why you want to participate in the International Conference on Women in Business and what you would like to learn by participating in the program. We then post your essay on the ICWB website to attract a Matching Sponsor. A member of society who is impressed by your essay can choose to nominate you and become your Matching Sponsor. The stronger your essay, the better your chance of being selected, so put effort into it.
Before applying,
please check the following
- Watch videos and reports of past ICWBs and think carefully about whether you really want to participate and why.
- If you are selected, please be sure to observe your arrival time by 8:45am on the day of the event, participate in good spirits, thank your Sponsor, and engage in meaningful dialogue about your future.
- Actively participate the entire day, learn, and meet many people
- There will be a photo shoot with your Sponsor. Your photo and school name will be posted. (You will only be identified by your initials, not your full name.)
- At the end of the party, we will invite all of the Matching Sponsors and Sponsees to the stage and several will provide comments on their impressions and learnings of the day.
- Please submit your participation report within the day after the meeting.
- Please select an email address to receive communications from the Alumni Club. (Please contact us in the future if your email address changes.)
- Transportation and accommodation expenses are not eligible for support. You will be responsible for your own expenses.
- Students who attract a Sponsor are considered successful applicants.
For working adults and others who wish to support students
We would like to thank all the members of society who become Matching Sponsors to provide support to students so they can experience this wonderful Conference. Being a Matching Sponsor can be very rewarding. You sit next to the student you have selected (Sponsee) at the ICWB and listen to their aspirations and dreams and offer them guidance. Please note that we will take photos on the site for introduction. We would also like to ask our Matching Sponsors to give us a short message before and after the event. In addition to paying their participation fee, please sponsor the growth of the student you selected.
In order to apply to be a Matching Sponsor, you must first complete your own registration and payment. Only “individual” applicants are eligible.
When we receive an essay from a student, we will send an email to all “individual” participants who have already made a payment. When you read an essay and decide “I want to support this student!”, please apply. The first person to select the student will become the Matching Sponsor of that student. . You then send us the student’s participation fee, and the match is complete. Matching Sponsors and their Sponsees enjoy reserved seats in the Plenary session, so please arrive early to talk with your Sponsee. In addition to financial support, we would like you to support us through dialogue, so we will limit the number of students per Matching Sponsor to two. Please note that Matching Sponsors need to arrive by 8:45am and stay until the end of the Networking Party, so please check your schedule before applying. At the end of the party, we will invite all of the Matching Sponsors and Sponsees to the stage and several will provide comments on their impressions and learnings of the day.
When did
the Matching Sponsor program
come into being?
The Matching Sponsorship Program was conceived by Kaori Sasaki, founder and chair of the ICWB, and launched immediately after the earthquake on March 11, 2011. ewoman had immediately provided financial and material assistance to those affected by the disaster, but also wanted to give people encounters, learning, and experiences, which the ICWB could provide.
Individuals who wanted to support the earthquake victims paid their participation fee as Matching Sponsors. They sat next to them and connected to them as they talked about their suffering as well as their hopes and dreams. The ewoman Relief Fund covered their transportation and lodging expenses Some of the victims who were supported returned to the Conference to become Matching Sponsors to show their gratitude and offer the same gift to others. It has grown into a very warm, supportive program.
The Matching Sponsor program later expanded to support high school and university students from Japan and overseas. So far, we have supported more than 250 students, not only from Japan but also from overseas, students who do not speak Japanese, and of course not only female but also male students. We hope that many students with high aspirations will meet highly motivated members of society and have life-changing experiences at the International Conference for Women in Business.
Records of previous programs
