Month: August 2026

International Research Team of Five Doctoral-Degree-Holding Anaheim University Graduates to Develop Proposed Bachelor of Applied Science in AI & Entrepreneurship Igor Buzaev, M.D., Ph.D. Aymen Gatri, Ph.D. Nishad Mendis, Ph.D. Sridhar Pulikanti, PhD Yu Tanabe, DBA   The Anaheim University Yamamura Ferrotec Research Institute has launched a major research and development initiative, bringing together a multidisciplinary team of doctoral-level researchers to develop a proposed Bachelor of Applied Science in AI & Entrepreneurship. Established by Anaheim University in 2022 in honor of global technology company Ferrotec Holdings and its entrepreneurial Chairman, the late Dr. Akira Yamamura, the Yamamura Ferrotec Research Institute serves as an online platform through which Anaheim University students and alumni around the world can participate in practical research projects under the guidance of industry experts. The new initiative represents an important step in developing the Institute as both a Think Tank and a Creative Lab where projects are taken from conception to implementation—an applied research environment intended to transform research into practical educational programs and other real-world outcomes. In this case, the final objective is the development and launch of a new degree program. Preparing Entrepreneurs for an AI-Driven Future At the center of the project is a fundamental research question: How can entrepreneurs and small businesses maximize the use of AI to achieve challenging business goals without having technology experts on staff? Rather than preparing students exclusively to become AI programmers or technology specialists, the proposed program would examine how entrepreneurs and business leaders can effectively select, implement, manage, evaluate, and responsibly use rapidly evolving artificial intelligence technologies. The initial concept is a 60-unit bachelor’s degree completion program consisting of 20 three-unit courses, representing the final two years of a four-year bachelor’s degree. Approximately half of the courses would focus specifically on AI, entrepreneurship and business, complemented by subjects such as communication, social media, intercultural communication and creativity. The research team will examine what students, entrepreneurs and small business operators are likely to need in the coming years, with an emphasis on practical application, employment, entrepreneurship, affordability and international accessibility. An International, Multidisciplinary Research Team As the project moves into its initial research phase, the Institute is assembling a multidisciplinary team whose prospective members include accomplished Anaheim University graduates and Yamamura Ferrotec Research Fellows with expertise spanning medicine, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, engineering, energy, sustainability, entrepreneurship, technology, and international business. Prospective members include: Igor Buzaev, M.D., D.Sc., Ph.D., MFA, who is serving as Phase 1 Project Manager, is an Anaheim University MFA in Digital Filmmaking graduate, medical doctor, professor, and researcher. His career encompasses interventional cardiology, non-invasive neurosurgery, medical technology and academic research. He is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in business in the United Kingdom. AU MFA GraduateYamamura Ferrotec Research Fellow Aymen Gatri, Ph.D., MBA, an Anaheim University MBA graduate, has a background in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital transformation and entrepreneurship. His professional experience spans technology, energy, automotive, defense and international business. AU MBA GraduateYamamura Ferrotec Research Fellow Nishad Mendis, Ph.D., MBA, an Anaheim University MBA graduate, is an electrical engineer and energy-industry professional whose experience encompasses renewable energy, energy transition and power systems. His career combines engineering research, industry leadership and graduate business education. AU MBA GraduateYamamura Ferrotec Research Fellow Sridhar R. Pulikanti, Ph.D., MBA, an Anaheim University MBA in Global Sustainable Management graduate, is an electrical engineer with extensive experience in power systems, energy storage, renewable energy integration and research and development. His background includes both academic research and international industry experience. AU MBA GraduateYamamura Ferrotec Research Fellow Yu Tanabe, DBA, an Anaheim University Doctor of Business Administration graduate, brings extensive international business and executive management experience. He previously served as Vice-President of Nikkei Newspaper in America and currently serves as Chief Operating Officer of a leading Japanese technology company in the United States. AU DBA Graduate Together, their backgrounds illustrate the breadth of expertise available to the Yamamura Ferrotec Research Institute as it develops interdisciplinary projects connecting technology, business, entrepreneurship and applied research. From Research to a New Degree Program The Institute plans to move rapidly from research into curriculum development. The researchers have been asked to look beyond today’s AI applications and consider the capabilities entrepreneurs will need as the technology continues to evolve. The program is intended to be practical and strongly connected to employment and entrepreneurship, prepare students to use AI as a tool rather than train them solely in skills that could themselves be replaced by AI, and give graduates both employment opportunities and the ability to establish and grow their own enterprises. Building on a Tradition of Applied Research The initiative continues a tradition of applied research associated with Anaheim University. Previous projects have connected students and researchers with international companies to investigate real-world business questions. These have included research for Morita Foods on Japan’s soy sauce industry, in which students in locations throughout Japan examined supermarkets, product placement, competitors, and merchandising, providing unusually broad geographic data. Another project involved marketing research for Audi in which AU MBA students investigated the feasibility of introducing a Spanish automobile into the Japanese market. Today, Anaheim University’s academic network spans business, entrepreneurship, TESOL and applied linguistics, sustainability, filmmaking and the creative industries.  Through institutions including the Akio Morita School of Business, Akira Kurosawa School of Film, Kisho Kurokawa Green Institute, and Yamamura Ferrotec Research Institute, the University has opportunities to bring together researchers from disciplines that traditionally might have had little interaction. That interdisciplinary philosophy is at the heart of the Institute’s first major R&D initiative. The Yamamura Ferrotec Research Institute was created as a platform for Anaheim University students and alumni worldwide to participate in practical research under the guidance of industry experts. The AI and entrepreneurship project provides an opportunity to put that mission into action. The launch represents the beginning of a new chapter for the Yamamura Ferrotec Research Institute—bringing together Anaheim University graduates from around the world to combine research, technology, entrepreneurship and education in developing practical responses to the opportunities and challenges of an AI-driven global economy.

Reconnect. Network. Celebrate the Anaheim University Community. Anaheim University is pleased to invite graduates of all Anaheim University degree and certificate programs to a special Alumni Gathering in Tokyo on Saturday, October 10, 2026 from 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. The gathering will provide an opportunity for alumni from across Anaheim University’s diverse academic disciplines to reconnect with the University, meet fellow graduates, and expand their professional and international networks. Event Details Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026
Time: 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: Central Tokyo — venue to be announced Meet Anaheim University Chancellor Peter Langenberg Alumni will have the opportunity to meet Anaheim University Chancellor and Government Affairs Liaison Peter Langenberg, J.D., as well as members of Anaheim University’s former Japan staff and Development Team. The gathering is designed to bring together graduates from all Anaheim University programs and fields of study (TESOL, Management, International Business, Sustainable Management, Entrepreneurism and Digital Filmmaking), creating a multidisciplinary networking opportunity among professionals with diverse backgrounds, industries, and international experiences. Whether you graduated recently or many years ago, we invite you to reconnect with the University and strengthen your connections with the growing Anaheim University alumni community. About Chancellor Peter Langenberg, J.D. Peter Langenberg, J.D. serves as Chancellor and Government Affairs Liaison of Anaheim University. He graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University with an A.B. and earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. Mr. Langenberg lived in Japan for a number of years and speaks Japanese. His longstanding commitment to U.S.–Japan relations includes serving as former Chair of the Los Angeles Nagoya Sister City Affiliation. Admitted to the California Bar in 1977, Mr. Langenberg serves as Senior Counsel with Hughes Hubbard & Reed. His areas of concentration include general commercial and business law, corporate law, intellectual property—including trademarks, copyrights, and licensing—and employment law. All Anaheim University Alumni Are Welcome This gathering is open to graduates from all Anaheim University programs. Join us in Tokyo for an opportunity to reconnect with the University, meet Chancellor Langenberg and members of the Japan Development Team, network across disciplines, and build new professional and personal connections within the Anaheim University community. Additional information, including the central Tokyo venue, will be announced soon.   Register here

Collaborative Learning Center Live Q&A Saturday, September 26 at 6:00 pm PDT (California time) Evolution of Surgery: A Few Secrets of the Trade, Told the from Inside Featuring Dr. Igor Buzaev Medical Doctor • Professor • Researcher • Filmmaker • Anaheim University MFA Graduate What really happens behind the doors of modern medicine—and how do new ideas and technologies make their way from innovation to actual patient care? Join the Anaheim University Collaborative Learning Center for a special live Q&A with Dr. Igor Buzaev, an accomplished physician, professor, researcher, filmmaker, and medical innovator whose career has placed him on multiple sides of healthcare: as a doctor treating patients, a researcher introducing new technologies, a professor training medical professionals, and a leader helping shape the future of medicine. A View of Surgery from the Inside “Evolution of Surgery: A Few Secrets of the Trade, Told from Inside” offers a personal look at the evolution of modern surgery and the decisions, innovations, relationships, and human experiences behind it. The session will be of particular interest to: Managers and entrepreneurs, for its perspective on marketing innovative technologies, introducing change, and creating value; Artists and filmmakers, who may recognize surprising parallels between medicine and their own creative craft; and Anyone curious about medicine, innovation, or how important healthcare decisions are really made. Dr. Buzaev will draw upon a career spanning medicine, academia, research, management, and filmmaking to tell the story from an unusually multifaceted perspective.   About Dr. Igor Buzaev Dr. Igor Buzaev is a medical doctor, professor, researcher, and filmmaker whose life mission is to help make healthcare more humane, with patients feeling understood and receiving treatments that are increasingly non-invasive and painless. A graduate of the Anaheim University Akira Kurosawa School of Film’s Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Digital Filmmaking program, Dr. Buzaev has an extensive multidisciplinary educational background encompassing medicine, law, management, and filmmaking. He holds M.D., Ph.D., and Doctor of Science degrees in medicine. Dr. Buzaev is a co-founder of the first non-invasive neurosurgical MRI-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) center in Russia, the International Medical Centre named after V.S. Buzaev, where he oversees research involving MRI-guided focused ultrasound neurosurgical treatments. He is also a professor at Bashkir State Medical University, with extensive experience delivering lectures, seminars, and practical instruction in heart surgery, congenital heart defects, valvular heart disease, ischemic heart disease, and arrhythmias. Previously, Dr. Buzaev served as Chief of Interventional Cardiology at the Republican Cardio Centre, where his responsibilities included department leadership and strategy, introducing and performing advanced medical procedures, teaching physicians, and overseeing implementation of new techniques. Throughout his medical career, he has helped pioneer the introduction of numerous advanced methods and technologies, including Optical Coherence Tomography, Intravascular Ultrasound, Fractional Flow Reserve, Rotablator, Absorb Scaffolds, Renal Denervation, Intracardiac Echo, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI). With more than 11,000 patients discharged under his care, numerous medical awards, extensive international training, scientific publications in international journals, and regular appearances on national television as a medical expert, Dr. Buzaev brings an extraordinary range of experiences to this Collaborative Learning Center conversation. See Igor Buzaev’s award-winning film “The Spiral”  Medicine. Innovation. Management. Art. Humanity. Discover what these seemingly different worlds have in common—and bring the questions you have always wanted to ask a surgeon. Register here and join us live for this special Anaheim University Collaborative Learning Center Q&A.