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Brussels, 19 September 2007 THIERRY Online, the Online Leadership
Academy, celebrates its 5th anniversary. Five
years ago, in September 2002, the Belgium-based Thierry Graduate School of
Leadership embarked on an uncommon educational journey that
would take it well beyond Europe. The independent leadership school
gradually developed its presence around the globe, by means of
internet-based distance education in leadership studies. With only one student, and one online
masters curriculum, a very humble starting-shot was then given to an
online educational activity that proves to be a success story. Today, five
years later, there are thirty-two participants in the masters and
doctorate curricula combined, and
The School's students, alumni, and faculty, are particularly proud about the fact that their school's online-based masters in leadership programme was the very first of this type to be created and offered by an educational institution based in the European Union. Moreover, the environmental leadership specialisation (called "EnviroLead") was the first online curriculum in that discipline worldwide. The doctorate programme in leadership and mastery of change, launched in 2005, once again set the trend in Europe. It grew in the same manner the masters sister-programme had paved the way three years earlier, by starting with one student. The growth of THIERRY Online also had an impact on the school's summer residential seminar-programme. It is offered since 2003, held in July of each year, and welcomes maximum sixteen participants. In the most recent fifth edition of the summer institute all places were taken by international students of the institution's online masters and doctorate programmes. In prior editions there was still a mix of THIERRY students and participants from other organisations.
The online academy's very first student was Eric Koester. He also played a pivotal role in the coming about of the online programmes. After his masters in leadership the school's alumnus went on to study in Washington, and earned a doctorate degree in law. On the occasion of the fifth anniversary Eric shared his views and THIERRY experience: " My own selfishness was the reason I first pushed Professor Bal to begin development of a new and innovative opportunity for the Thierry School. When plans fell through on my opportunity to study under Professor Bal in Belgium, I wondered if a similar program could be tailored for me as I lived across the globe. I wanted that opportunity in spite of the distance. Always the sceptic and not willing to sacrifice any facet of the quality of the education or the experience, Professor Bal was guarded about any such initiatives. It is not a simple process to develop a new educational model nor is it without risk. But, from those initial conversations, shared beliefs and values, and an understanding of the changing world of education, I became the first student. Further, I encouraged the school to adopt a new curriculum focused on leadership in environmental fields, several years ahead of today's "booming" global warming focus. I am proud to have had the opportunity to work with Professor Bal to assist in the evolution of the school, both its medium of teaching and its pragmatic focus, and to have helped advance the program and myself. What began as a selfish endeavor on my part (desire for education of my own), has become much more (and a desire to share this valuable experience with others). I have been vastly rewarded and wish this same experience on others. The school and programs have flourished because of the selflessness of the first students (who provided insight, and patience), the first professors (who stimulated thought, provided thoughtful leadership, and patience) and the first alumni (who provided continuity, and patience). Collectively, the community has moved the school forward and set forth a foundation for future success. After five years, each of our patience shows -- today the school has moved forward in ways I hadn't imagined in my first conversations. For that, we should all be proud. Education is best when it continuously stimulates thought processes, and that's what happens at Thierry. Such form of leadership is not only valuable, but a great means to success".
Professor Jean-Pierre Bal, founder and director of the school, emphasised that the major challenge in online education is the relationship-building factor. "Here at the Thierry Graduate School we attach great importance to building esprit de corps, and prepare our students for higher levels of responsibility in a variety of organisations. We have resolutely opted for a person-centred educational approach, and that limits the number of students - programme-participants, as we prefer to call them - that we can support in their individual growth and development. In leadership, as in life in general, there is a need for building relationships that can stand time and weather crises. In distance education the relationship is built in a different way than in the classroom; the combination of both - as we do it with our summer residential programme, is the stronghold. It also supports home-based learning, a process which - and let's face reality - requires a high degree of self-motivation and self-discipline. These are in fact two of the key-skills that leaders are expected to master".
To the question of the school's expansion plans the founder of the school indicated that "It is not the potential, or "volume" that we focus upon; in fact at certain moments during the year we register eight to ten times more applications than we have places available, and without resorting to ads or other marketing techniques or "business" strategies. It is the building of educational capacity that matters, in other words: engaging the experienced, seasoned educators who have a knack for, or experience a deep meaning in grooming leaders and leader-educators, with a focus on action, on leading effectively, responsibly, and with a realistic vision on things to come. Allow me to use the word "breed" -- such a breed of educators is actually a scarce resource around the world. In recent years we have come to address this reality, wishing to offer a response to this omnipresent need. Not to mention the learners, leaders and educators who focus on the state of our planet, of man's influence on Earth, in environmental leadership terms. It is all interlaced, across societies, professions, organisations,... When our students meet each other they meet persons active in many domains, and all have leadership in common. Expansion-wise I foresee that the school need not worry about its growth, new projects emerge regularly. But in our educational approach we continue to focus on "one person, one team, one organisation at a time", and at the same time embrace the whole external environment. As leaders do".
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applications for admission in the highly
rated
programmes are sometimes peaking at thirty per month. As the school
accepts no more than forty-eight students per year, the school's online
leadership unit - THIERRY Online -
now represents two-thirds of the student body, or the lion's share in the
institution's academic operations.