Community Involvement
Fostering mutually beneficial relationships with the communities in which we do business as well as broader global society is a fundamental part of The FUJITSU Way. Our long tradition of community involvement throughout the Fujitsu Group encompasses not only financial and in-kind support for worthy causes but active involvement in a variety of volunteer activities and community partnerships. Our primary areas of focus are in education and international exchange, environmental outreach, and community service.
Befitting a company with operations in over 60 countries across the globe, Fujitsu's community-oriented activities take place at the global, national and local levels. Generally speaking, we seek to maximize the effectiveness of our community involvement through a decentralized approach that encourages our group companies to take initiative in designing programs that respond to local needs.
Education and International Exchange
Education and international exchange – with a particular emphasis on science and technology – have long been a major focus of Fujitsu's corporate social contribution efforts. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, there is a growing need to equip future leaders with the knowledge and skills required to function effectively on both a domestic and international level. We respond to this need by offering an assortment of programs including fellowships and scholarships in scientific and cultural fields at academic institutions, support for global management training, and training in new technology. Our activities in this category target a diverse audience, ranging from mathematically talented youth to businesspeople and researchers, with the aim of fostering the next generation of global leaders in business, science and technology.
The Japan-America Institute of Management Science (JAIMS)
JAIMS is a nonprofit postgraduate institution founded by Fujitsu in 1972 for the purpose of fostering effective business leaders through education and training in global management and intercultural communication, with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region. Many programs feature internship opportunities at leading Pacific Rim companies, and degrees are offered on a joint basis with the University of Hawaii.
The Foundation for International Information Processing Education (FINIPED)
FINIPED was launched by the Fujitsu Group in 1972 to promote the field of information processing both in Japan and abroad through human resource development, educational activities, the dissemination of information and international exchange. The organization, which subsidizes training and research and coordinates a wide range of educational initiatives, has expanded to include about 170 corporate members.
Fujitsu Asia Pacific Scholarship Program
We established this forward-looking scholarship program in 1985 with the objective of providing students and businesspeople from the Asia-Pacific region with the opportunity to study the cultures, values and management styles of Japan, the United States and China in order to strengthen relations within this region.
Mathematical Olympiad Foundation of Japan
Fujitsu has been funding this foundation since its establishment in 1991. The foundation helps support the participation of
Japanese young people in the International Mathematical Olympiad with the goal of nurturing mathematically gifted youth and helping to advance mathematical education on a global level. In
2003, Fujitsu served as the principal sponsor of the 44th International Mathematical Olympiad, which was held in Japan.
In addition to these programs, we have been active in promoting education and international exchange on a local level through the efforts of our group companies and affiliates. In the United States, for example, Fujitsu Network Communications is engaged in a variety of partnership activities with local schools and universities, volunteering in classrooms, sponsoring teacher appreciation events, providing technical assistance, and donating computers for classrooms.
Environmental Outreach
Complementing our commitment to environmentally sound practices in all aspects of our business – a core value of The FUJITSU Way – we carry out a broad range of educational and community outreach activities focused on environmental protection. This includes engaging in collaborative programs with universities and other academic institutions, as well as NGOs, NPOs and other community organizations.
Reforestation in Southeast Asia
In 1997 we launched a major initiative to help regenerate tropical forests in Southeast Asia. This continuing effort, which
is supported predominantly by the financial contributions and volunteer participation of employees from Fujitsu Limited and
several group companies in the region, has included large-scale tree-planting projects in Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia.
One of these projects, begun in 2003, is the establishment of an eco-forest park in Malaysia via a three-year initiative to
plant 40,000 dipterocarpaceas trees over an area of about 70 hectares. Administration of the park will be transferred to the
Sabah Forestry Development Authority, which intends to utilize this resource for environmental studies and ecotourism. The
Malaysian Government, Japan International Cooperation Agency, and Japan International Forestry Promotion and Cooperation Center
are cooperating in the project.
OISCA-International Children's Forest Program
In a unique approach to supporting forestation efforts, together with our Internet service provider subsidiary, @nifty, and
Photon, Inc., we’re contributing an online game service, called Rhythm Forest, in which players participate in virtual forestation
activities and their game results are converted to contributions of seedlings for the Children's Forest Program sponsored
by OISCA-International.
Community Service
We are committed to serving our host communities not only through corporate contributions, but by volunteering our time, resources and energy. We actively support and encourage employee volunteerism through programs that allow holidays, or even temporary leaves of absence, for volunteer activities.
Reflecting our emphasis on environmental protection issues, our volunteer activities include organizing and participating in reforestation activities in Southeast Asia, as well as recycling and community clean-up efforts in Japan and elsewhere. In one project in Japan, about 4,000 employees from our plants in Aizuwakamatsu, Nagano, Oyama, and other cities participated in a Fujitsu clean-up day to spruce up the surrounding areas.
Other volunteer initiatives take advantage of Fujitsu's technological strengths by providing IT resources and expertise in community-service projects. In northeastern Japan, for example, we have conducted a program since 2000 that helps people with physical disabilities learn to use personal computers and the Internet.
