“Learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change. And the most pressing task is to teach people how to learn.” (Peter F Drucker)
As Indian companies scale for global aspirations in a rapidly changing economic environment, good business strategy demands that senior executives and managers are trained in specific skills to keep pace with the organisation’s growth plan.
In recent years, India’s executive education sector has been growing by leaps and bounds. With economic growth creating a need for skilled human capital, leading business schools such as the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and Indian School of Business at Hyderabad are focusing on executive education programmes. International schools such as Harvard Business School, Oxford University and the University of Western Ontario are also making a beeline for the market.
The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania has announced the launch of a new non-degree business certificate programme in India beginning January 2012. Called the Accelerated Development Program (ADP), this new certificate is designed to meet the current needs of global business leaders with high potential in India.
"The Accelerated Development Program exemplifies Wharton's commitment to global business education as it will bring Wharton's world-class faculty and thought leadership to business executives in India," explained Wharton Vice Dean Jason Wingard who made the announcement of the programme yesterday at the School's Global Engagement Series event held in Mumbai, India.
Harbir Singh, Wharton's Vice Dean of Global Initiatives and the Mack Professor of Management, says the present is an ideal time to launch such a programme in India. "There is a growing emphasis on internationalisation for organisations in India," Singh says. "Business leaders must be well aware of the need to build globally competitive enterprises, and how today's highly interconnected world affects everything from innovation to finance to leadership. You can't create and maintain a competitive advantage without a global perspective."
The Accelerated Development Program is designed to bring that perspective to India's global business leaders with high potential. The certificate programme will offer courses in Mumbai and Gurgaon, India in topics such as Strategic Thinking, Finance, Marketing, and Leadership.
What distinguishes Wharton's Accelerated Development Program from other business school programmes currently offered in India is that it will go beyond the classroom sessions to help participants become more reflective and proactive in managing their careers. All participants who choose to complete the certificate will receive coaching and professional assessments. Also, they will be eligible to attend an executive education programme at the Wharton School's Philadelphia campus in the United States. No other business school in India currently offers these types of additional benefits.
"Business leaders today need a higher level of proactivity and self-reflection during their careers," says Singh, who will teach in the Accelerated Development Program. "The pace of change demands a take-charge approach, and coaching is an important component."
To be awarded the certificate, participants must complete three of the courses within two years.
