Message from Founder
Founder’s profile
Makiko Nishikawa (Maki)
University
Imperial College London
Other schools
Shrewsbury School
Taunton School International
Overseas experience
Completed GCSEs and A-levels in the UK
Career
Graduated from junior high school in Japan and studied full-time in the UK at high school and university, graduating from Imperial College London Medical School with a degree in Biomedical Sciences. During her university years, she worked as a tutor, helping students planning to study abroad to prepare for their entrance exams. After working for a consulting firm and a cosmetics company, she set up More Education and started supporting students studying abroad and operating an online tutoring service. From October 2024, I work as a College Counsellor at Laurus International School of Science.
Our mission
Hello, I am Maki, Director/Founder of Moi Creation Co., Ltd, and consultant at Moi Education.
The number of international schools and schools adopting an international curriculum in Japan is increasing every year, and as a result, we expect that the number of people who need support in entering overseas universities and preparing for international curriculum exams is also increasing. Yet, as has been the case since the 2010s when I studied in the UK, it is still difficult to find the information you want, as I feel from the stories of my friends and customers who have studied abroad around me.
Our mission is to ” expand the potential of all people across borders “ to solve these problems, and we work every day as experts in international education that can deliver live information. Our role is to help students get the education they want, where they want it, no matter what country they are in, whether it is applying to a British university from a Japanese high school, studying at a Malaysian boarding school from a Japanese junior high school or transferring from a Chinese primary school to an international school in Japan.
How did you start your business?
My first tutoring experience was when I was a first-year university student. The student I was in charge of was attending junior high school in Japan at the time and asked me to tutor her as she prepared to go to boarding school. We used British textbooks to prepare her for the entrance examinations and gave her maths lessons, while I shared my own experiences as a senior student and helped her to choose a school. The student successfully entered the school of her first choice and was admitted to her first choice of university.
Preparation before studying abroad is one thing, but what we felt particularly necessary was academic support during study abroad. Curricula and examination systems in other countries differ greatly from those in Japan, and because it is not possible to obtain sufficient information even if you do your own research, there are many cases where parents who feel anxious come to us for advice.
Even if you use a study abroad agent, very few staff are familiar with the local curriculum and examinations, and most of them are only there to help you stay safe while you study abroad. We felt that we needed a specialist who could give academic advice, which is why we started More Education.
We do not see going overseas to study as a goal in itself. Nor do we believe that becoming fluent in English is the only goal. Each student has his or her own talents. We support students from adapting to the education system of their study destination to developing their strengths and taking the path where they can shine the brightest. We do not believe that going to a university with a high world ranking is the best for everyone, but rather we set goals that suit each individual. Our strength lies in the accurate advice we can provide because we have actually completed an international curriculum.
There are also many excellent schools in Japan. Even for those who do not plan to study abroad, we think ”who you learn from” is important when you decide to learn English. Language is a reflection of a country’s culture, so learning from a teacher who has experience overseas and can talk about foreign cultures will broaden your horizons and create more value than just being able to speak English.
Interview by International School Times (IST):
