Tufts' Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy took a leap into the multi-million-dollar executive education industry last year, for the first time offering international education programs to chief executives and top managers at leading corporations.
These programs will continue this year with a larger client base, according to Fletcher Senior Associate Dean Deborah Nutter.
She said Fletcher can teach ambitious individuals global intelligence and leadership skills that are becoming increasingly valuable in a world market.
All businesses "need to understand the global context in which they operate," she said. Business Week pegs the executive education industry at $800 million per year.
Fletcher's customized employment clients last year included Microsoft, Raytheon, and the International Center for Nonviolent Conflict.
All three are back onboard this year, and more companies are joining. Revenue from last year's programs will be reinvested in future programs.
Fletcher fills a niche traditional business schools cannot, according to Fletcher's Assistant Director for Strategic Initiatives and Relationships Kristen Zimmerman.
Instead of enrolling their executives in a specific degree program, Fletcher worked closely with human resource departments to harness its academic expertise and specially designed programs for upper management.
For employees of the military contractor Raytheon, Fletcher crafted a course on culture and politics in the Middle East, hosted at Tufts. Microsoft executives gathered in Beijing for an international relations primer tailored to multinational corporate executives.
Fletcher Dean Stephen Bosworth and Associate Professor of International Relations Malik Mufti were among the Tufts faculty tapped to teach the courses.
The programs last year were "resounding successes," according to Nutter.
But these programs won't come at the expense of Fletcher's normal academic offerings, she said.
"Right now, we're just honing what our niche is, and we don't want to spread ourselves too thin," she said.
