Elite, Multidisciplinary Training for Business Leaders

For two decades, the Fletcher School’s Executive Education Program has earned a reputation as the premier diplomatic training resource for government ministries and agencies, international foundations, and businesses across the globe. It’s done so by keeping one foot firmly planted in multidisciplinary training expertise, and the other a step ahead of the evolving realities of global affairs.

Over the summer, one team from India got a firsthand look at this approach. A senior-level diplomatic cohort from the country’s Ministry of External Affairs traveled to campus, where they were equipped with the program’s sought-after “diplomatic toolkit” for understanding cultural diplomacy, soft power, and a new security paradigm. Through intimate, in-person instruction, the group studied a range of issues of concern to them, from cybersecurity to climate policy, international negotiation to global business after COVID.

“As practicing diplomats, we tend to be very narrowly focused on our work,” said one participant. “This program broadens our worldview. The people we work with are not just practicing diplomats; we hear from academicians and people from the world's best think tanks.”

The ministry cohort emerged from the program empowered to represent their country more effectively in negotiation, and with a deeper understanding of how to be a strategic partner to the United States.

“This was not Global Politics 101,” said Hilary Price, Associate Dean of Professional Education, who oversees the program. “This was high-level diplomatic training, and they chose our program because Fletcher faculty are among the leading thinkers in the world on global issues, making them uniquely qualified to provide the cultural and global context for understanding how to operate on the world stage.”

While the External Affairs cohort enjoyed a curriculum tailored to the most pressing questions that confront them, more and more businesses, corporations, and institutions recognize the ways in which Fletcher’s expertise can help them succeed in the private sector. These business executives gain agility in global dynamics and frameworks, emerging from the program with fluency in complex policy issues relevant to their industries.

Market trends demonstrate exponential growth in demand for executive-level training over the past several years. Dozens of higher education institutions offer programming geared to the international business community. The field remains highly competitive, but Fletcher Executive Education brings a multidisciplinary, intersectional approach that other programs—even those offered by much larger schools—do not.

“Our Executive Education instructors are drawn right from the ranks of Fletcher faculty,” said Price. “They have an unparalleled grasp of a wide range of subjects that are critically important not just to diplomats, but to any executive—public sector or private—looking to be a leader within today’s business landscape.”  

Recognizing the diverse challenges that bring diplomats and CEOs to the program, the Executive Education team creates customized learning experiences that meet each organization’s particular needs. The format is flexible. Courses can be conducted on campus in the newly constructed Joyce Cummings Center or in a remote or hybrid format. Trainings range in length from a one- to two-day leadership summit to a four- to eight-week master class series.  

Though the format may vary, the pillars of Fletcher’s Executive Education curriculum—Strategic Leadership for Impact, Risk Mitigation and Opportunity, and Climate Adaptation and Innovation—build a foundation that suits partners’ unique needs.

“We excel at helping organizations understand context,” said Price. “If a company is expanding into a new region, our faculty can help them understand the cultural, political, and economic dynamics of that region.”

“We help them explore issues around international law, cybersecurity, migration and social impact—and in the end we help them develop the skills, knowledge base, and 360-degree perspective they need to be successful there.” 

Fletcher has been an innovator in the field of international relations for 90 years. The continuing enhancements to its pioneering Executive Education program are a testament to its unparalleled record of leadership.