The World University of Leadership is committed to transforming the level of leadership throughout the world.  We aim to provide training that actually changes people (for the better) and really makes a difference. So when we designed our programs we started with a variety of questions such as:

v     "If I could design a perfect program for myself, how would it look?”

v     “What would I want in a program if I was studying?”

v     “What would help me learn the most - not just academically but practically?

v  “Why do many "failures" at school and university prove to be very successful at life, while some of those who performed best academically were far from successful as leaders?”

v     “How can we design a program that's likely to result in its graduates being successful and respected as great leaders?”

v     “How do we reward an entrepreneurial style of studying?”

v    “How do we encourage people to take responsibility for their own learning, instead of passively receiving teaching in a bureaucratic, rigid, dis-empowering system?”

 

Based on the answers to these questions, we designed our programs in a unique way – that caters for Adults who want to learn - and who want to be treated with the same respect they have for themselves and their education.

Some underpinning elements of our programs are:

·       Flexibility - To a great extent, our students can choose to study whatever they feel will be most helpful to them. Many people find they loved reading before they started to do a degree, but because they had no choice in what they had to read they changed from having an attitude of wanting to learn, to grow, to discover; and instead ended up with an approach of "let's just get this degree over with... I'll do what I need and give the lecturers what they want - that's all I'm focused on".  We provide a vast electronic library of materials so that students can study the most interesting, relevant and useful materials for whatever career or interests they have.

·       Breadth and Depth – Each student is issued with over 10 computer CD’s.  Yet just one of these CD’s contains over 50,000 files on over 650 topics. With such a broad range of content, students are able to study as widely and as deeply as they wish. Although a student only needs to study some of these topics, the additional topics and files are there if they wish to learn more.  e.g. - Although students only need to do 2 modules of computer studies, they are given 60 computer tutorials so that if they wish to do further study (e.g. when they buy a new computer program or a get a job requiring different skills) they have the materials on hand to learn the new program(s).

·       A marking system that encourages learning - It is important to ensure that everyone who has a degree from World University of Leadership has done the required work, and have learnt what they need to learn. However, in aiming to ensure this is the case, many universities create in their students a focus on passing exams, and writing essays that give the marker what they want; - rather than focusing on learning, questioning, growing, and becoming the type of manager who brings out the best in others. For part-time students, often the grading process results in so much work - (assignments, essays, late night cramming etc.) that the person's work suffers (when the degree should be enhancing their work).
With World University’s degrees, we ensure people have learnt well, but we make the grading system a secondary component of the program instead of the main focus. – e.g. As students study each area they can write a short summary of what they learnt, and what thoughts it stimulated in them. Alternatively they can share how they actually put the teachings into practice.

·       You actually become a great leader (rather than just a knowledgeable one)

We've asked thousands of people to think about the best manager they've worked for as well as the worst, and to tell us the difference. 95% of the answers relate to the person's character - the type of person the manager is: - whether they really listen to, understand, care for, and support their employees, or not. The bad managers are said to be negative, unable to see things from someone else's viewpoint, they have a lot of ego, and are dis-empowering. Now if these are the elements that make the difference between great and lousy management then its essential that a Leadership or Management Degree helps people to be more understanding, more caring, and to be good listeners who are able to see things from many viewpoints - and that the degree helps students become less egotistical, negative and dis-empowering. Our program has a strong focus on these areas to ensure that our graduates become the sort of people who bring out the best in their workforce - and their country. For us, this is the true measure of a person's success (not their ability to answer academic questions on Corporate Law or 'Financial Institutions and Markets' in an exam).

·       Application to the real world. - A little while ago, one of our directors was a guest lecturer at a prestigious university. He had a look through the notes of a student and saw they'd recently finished studying Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. They knew all the right names and levels but when he asked who knew what level of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs they operated from, no one knew. The next day our director asked another group about how they could add value - to make their service more valuable to their customers. Again no one could answer. They had studied the subject intellectually but hadn't applied it to the real world - or to themselves. When he asked the same question to our own students (who hadn't been studying the topic) they all had numerous suggestions of what they could do. We believe the difference is that all of our programs are designed to make people great managers, entrepreneurs, and leaders: - people with the skills, attitudes and approaches that will really make a difference. This is what's important - not just filling someone up with more intellectual knowledge.

In fact, the most important test for us, is not whether students pass an exam. The most important test is whether our students are successful in the field they work in. The success of our university is measured by the success of our students.  And with many students getting substantial promotions and holding jobs as Government Ministers, Assistants to Presidents, and as CEO’s of successful businesses and N.G.O.’s, we’re happy with our results.

·       The Degrees are affordable – American universities such as New York University charge approximately US$35,000 a year for similar degrees. In addition, students need to allow for an absolute minimum of $15,000 a year for living expenses in New York.  Although we believe our degrees are better than any other similar programs available, they are priced at an affordable level so that current and future leaders in developing countries can afford it.

Our degrees are provided by distance education using computers and computer C.D.’s. This allows students to study from anywhere in the world, while learning from amongst the best experts in the world. (e.g. You learn from ex-presidents and top government officials, from the CEO’s of many of the world’s largest companies, from many of the best-selling authors and from dozens of the top management gurus in the world, and from the leaders of UN agencies, other universities and major NGO’s.) Students can stay in contact through internet based discussion groups & can chat with faculty and other students – yet all materials are available whether you are connected or not.