Student business contest links academic insight with real-world fund operations

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Japan’s integration into global private markets continues to evolve. Yet the operational and regulatory architecture that underpins cross-border capital flows remains under-recognised within academic settings.

To help address this gap, Langham Hall Japan has launched “Break the Border”, a new initiative in collaboration with Professor Moriuchi’s seminar at Senshu University.

The programme is a student business contest designed to develop commercially grounded ideas that can be tested through Langham Hall Japan’s business development activity. The winning participant will join Langham Hall Japan for a two to three month internship, testing their concept within a live commercial environment.

“Japan has world-class talent, but the career paths behind international private markets are still not widely visible. This programme is designed to make that architecture more tangible and to give students a practical route to test ideas in a live commercial environment.” - Shinobu Miyata, Head of Japan, Langham Hall

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Bridging academia and global capital

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Fund administration and cross-border structuring are rarely visible career paths in Japan. Yet they are central to the functioning of private equity, real estate, infrastructure and credit markets worldwide.

Break the Border is also designed to help students challenge the assumptions that can unintentionally narrow their career options. By exposing them early to global-standard business structures and regulated fund operations, the programme aims to broaden their understanding of how international private markets function and where they might contribute within them.

By introducing students to how regulated structures operate in practice, the initiative aims to:

• Demystify global-standard business models

• Connect academic theory with regulated execution

• Provide practical exposure to cross-border capital markets

This is not a lecture series; it is structured exposure to how ideas translate into regulated vehicles and how those vehicles connect international investors with opportunity.

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Building capability for the long term

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Langham Hall’s growth depends on developing professionals who understand both technical precision and commercial reality.

The initiative also supports early-career awareness of fund administration in Japan, where the industry remains less visible than other financial services career paths. It is also intended to strengthen recognition of fund administration within the graduate recruitment market, through practical exposure rather than explanation alone.

As a partner-led global firm, Langham Hall believes capability must be built intentionally. Creating structured access to international fund operations strengthens both the market and the next generation of professionals.

We thank Professor Moriuchi and Senshu University for their partnership.