The Sir Peter Parker Awards for Spoken Business Japanese took place on 10 February 2015, this year celebrating its 25th anniversary.

The Awards was established in 1990, 25 years ago by the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) London and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. The late Sir Peter Parker, who studied Japanese at SOAS and worked for the British Army as a military translator, approached both JETRO and SOAS after he submitted the ‘Parker Report’ which emphasised how important it is to understand culture when one is learning a language.  The Awards is aimed to encourage businessmen and women to understand Japanese business culture and Japan, through studying its language to enhance communication.

In order to mark the 25th anniversary of the Awards, a significant milestone for the event, there was a Special Panel Discussion shortly after the final round regarding ‘UK-Japan Business Relations; Looking Back on the Past 25 Years.’ It was also a great honour for the event to have the Japanese Ambassador, His Excellency Mr. Keiichi Hayashi attend the Awards Ceremony to make a speech. Sir Alan Parker, Chairman of Brunswick Group, also joined as VIP guest to speak about his late father’s memory.

The winner, Mr Min Jeong, who started working at a Japanese company about a year ago, delivered a speech on ‘Proposed Global Changes to Japanese Companies’ Middle Management Hiring Strategy’. In his speech he suggested that many Japanese companies should perhaps stop sending representatives from Japan, which not only costs companies but creates a huge burden on the employees when doing business overseas (particularly in a foreign language).  They should start hiring more local staff to be trained instead, which will eventually become a great asset and will contribute more for the companies.

The next contest will take place February 2016 and further details will be published this autumn. If you would like to find out more about this Award, please click here, or visit us here: www.sirpeterparkerawards.com

JETRO London