INITIATIVES | While business may seem to have little to do with the arts and humanities, more and more people are beginning to believe that studying “non-business” subjects is exactly what business leaders of the future are going to need to get ahead. We here at THNK believe that the creative thinker always has the advantage, and are always looking to learn from like-minded initiatives—such as the collaboration between Brown University in Providence and Madrid’s IE Business School that combines business with arts and the humanities.
Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island (USA) and IE Business School in Madrid, Spain are collaborating on a new kind of MBA. It is one that combines the business principles that are a standard to any MBA program with the humanities, like philosophy, religion and literature. The goal is to produce knowledgeable, inventive leaders who understand that they are a part of a world community.
This joint venture is meant to inspire students to look at traditional subjects in a different way. What part do the history and culture of emerging markets such as China, India and Brazil play in how these settings are managed? Studying these aspects will give students a much deeper understanding of the political and social factors that they are confronted with when dealing with businesses based in these countries.
The program will ask students to adjust their paradigm regarding business and how it is done. What cultural factors have to be taken into consideration? What unconventional tools can be used to help leaders learn to think more critically? How can leaders change their perspective to face a challenging problem differently?
Listen to the Provost of Brown University and the Dean of IE Business School extrapolate on the details of their joint venture and its benefits:
I chose THNK’s program because they seemed to be doing what I wanted to do, albeit for a very different target audience. But in re-imagining what the education of change makers could be, or rather, what it needs to become, we are walking very similar paths and I wanted to experience THNK’s approach firsthand.
Responding to the widely-perceived gap between university education and the marketplace for jobs, the Amani Institute’s mission is to develop next-generation talent for solving social problems.
INITIATIVES | For the past 5 years, creative and curious people from around the world have been coming to the annual PICNIC festival. A perfect excuse for THNK’s Wina Smeenk to get out of the office. Here are 3 of her favorite PICNIC experiences.
INITIATIVES | THNK’s Creative Leadership Program is a work in progress. That’s why we invited a diverse group of people to work on prototyping our new 10-month program in a THNKLab on “Cutting Edge Communications”. Learn more here.
