BGA | BUSINESS IMPACT
Those operational elements are important for students, creating a sense of identity for the programme, so that they feel part of one college and three colleges at the same time. Denis Couturier (DC): For this partnership, we leverage our differences and our strengths, and that’s probably the key to the success of this collaboration. We are very different, but we also work very well together. What we have in common is that we’re always looking for change, in terms of how we can improve the programme; since we launched in 2007, we’ve been making small changes constantly. Most of our students at UCLA Extension are adult learners, so it’s a challenge for our instructors to teach undergraduate students. We give them feedback and work in collaboration with EDHEC to ensure a great learning experience and to make sure it’s aligned with students’ expectations. This programme was created in a year or two, so it was a very short timescale. Sometimes, I am involved in other collaborations, and they are one-week or one-month programmes which require longer conversations. With EDHEC being a private university, it was able to pivot and move fast and I feel that – probably because UCLA Extension is self- supportive in continuing education – we also have that ability to be more entrepreneurial. This was the key to the success. It’s so heartening when we meet a partner, such as EDHEC, that is ready to move forward. I think the pandemic has brought us closer because we had to have more meetings, and make sure we were able to support the students. During Covid-19, instead of coming to the US, the students remained in France and we offered all our courses online, which was a challenge. At UCLA Extension, our approach is to look at customisation. All our partners are different, and we try to adapt and find a common ground so that we can work closely with them. How do you co-ordinate and work together? AB: We have regular meetings, which allow us to pre-empt any glitches, and there are regular visits as well. Seeing the structures, the students and the professors, and talking to them, allows for a continuous exchange between the three institutions. The programme would not work without a dedicated team; it wouldn’t work if we just made an agreement on paper, two international teams shook hands – and nothing else happened. There is resource commitment. Those aspects are important for quality assurance because we know each other’s requirements for our accreditation. DC: We’re also trying to be very proactive. When Angelo started reviewing all the syllabi of the courses, he made sure that these were aligned with the courses being offered at EDHEC and NTU. We’re also getting a lot of feedback. Often, Angelo will be the point of contact for the students, and we will work with the instructors, so we are able to get feedback from both sides. I feel that has been very helpful.
‘All three institutions value transforming the future, and this has been crucial for us
when designing the programme’
by mentors to try new things that they may link to their passion and develop entrepreneurial activities for the future. All three institutions think about learning as a very complex journey. How successful is the initiative? AB: Our experiment has been successful because we are offering students more of a challenge – working with professors from different levels. Independent learning is becoming widespread and more open, so it’s fundamental. All three institutions value transforming the future, and this has been crucial for us when designing the programme, because we wanted to invest in the future, transform innovation and look at how innovation can transform the lives of individuals. What did you learn from this approach? AB: We kept it simple: one degree, two certificates, modularised and adapted to the programme. We had each partner take the lead on one aspect; we all look at impact, but we have our own specificities. NTU takes the lead on technology, EDHEC on finance, and UCLA on modularisation. We think beyond fixed structures. Our calendar does not work in a traditional way. Students spend one year at EDHEC, before moving to UCLA in their second year, and it is easy from them to adapt. We create opportunities for impact, hybridisation, and work-based learning. We have a dedicated team from all three institutions working together. We have regular meetings with different channels of communication. Changes and problems are flagged quickly because we are aligned. It is important for us to work with our partners to design aims and actions, as well as completion requirements for both national and international levels.
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