Published on Sep 2025
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To me, executive education can be summed up as learning experiences designed for professionals and business leaders to enhance their management and leadership skills. These experiences may include formal training programs but they could also refer to coaching, peer to peer learning and plethora of other learning activities. By taking an ‘issues based’ approach to learning design (rather than topic centered), executive education, done well, can provide tangible benefits, serving executives, teams and organizations. It subsequently helps each of these groups navigate change, thrive in times of uncertainty and realize their full potential¾thus offering the potential for transformative value.
At the University of St Andrews Business School, our approach to executive education is shaped by a commitment to academic excellence and the distinctive identity of place. St Andrews is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world, with over six centuries of scholarly tradition. This legacy is not merely historical, rather it informs every aspect of the university’s ethos, and it underpins our mission to provide a meaningful, reflective educational experience for today’s professionals.
Why place matters amidst a shifting educational landscape
In recent years, higher education has seen a significant shift toward digital and distance learning. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this transition, prompting universities worldwide to expand their online offerings and develop flexible, technology-enhanced modes of delivery. While the University of St Andrews has embraced this evolution—with online learning, live virtual sessions and remote coaching forming core elements of our executive education portfolio—we are equally conscious that not all educational value can be replicated online.
There is something irreplaceable about learning in a place like St Andrews. The town and the university are deeply intertwined, forming a living academic community that has inspired generations of learners. When participants come to St Andrews, they are not simply attending a course, they are immersing themselves in a setting that fosters introspection, collegial exchange and intellectual curiosity. The physical environment, combined with our heritage, offers a rare opportunity to step back from professional noise and recalibrate.
This sense of place is at the heart of what we are doing differently
with executive education at the University of St Andrews. Although our
Business School and executive programs are recent additions—the Business
School is under two years old and our executive education portfolio just
over one—they are grounded in an institution with a 600-year history of
scholarly excellence. That heritage provides us with a depth of academic
credibility, but as newcomers to the executive education market, we also
benefit from agility, innovation and an institution-wide commitment to
interdisciplinarity.
Thoughtful expansion
The launch of the University of St Andrews Business School, formed by merging the renowned School of Management and the School of Economics and Finance, was a strategic decision to evolve St Andrews’ value proposition. Historically, the university has been known for its world-class undergraduate education. Today, we are broadening our scope to offer impactful postgraduate programs, including taught master’s degrees, PhDs, an EMBA (currently in development) and an expanding portfolio of executive education offerings.
Importantly, executive education at St Andrews is not confined to the Business School. It is a university-wide initiative. We draw on the expertise of all 18 schools—from Medicine and International Relations to Languages, Earth Sciences, and Information Technology—allowing us to design programs that are both academically rigorous and practically relevant.
Executive education, the St Andrews way
Our executive education portfolio includes both open-enrollment
short courses and fully tailored learning solutions co-created with
partner organizations. All our programs combine the research insights of
St Andrews faculty with the lived experience and sector-specific
knowledge of practitioners. This dual focus ensures that learning
remains both intellectually rich and grounded in real-world
application.
Crucially, our aim is not to replicate what others are doing nor provide generic management courses. Instead, we seek to develop programs that respond directly to the needs and ambitions of our executive program partners—whether that’s a government agency, a financial institution, a global nonprofit or a local business. We are committed to building meaningful, mutually beneficial partnerships.
This local engagement is mirrored by a global outlook. Whether we are
working with financial services professionals in Japan, energy companies
in Chile, or NGOs in India our focus remains the same: to create
learning that has lasting impact. Our ambition is to meet learners in
their context wherever they are—professionally, geographically and
culturally—while always offering them the opportunity to connect with
the St Andrews learning experience, whether physically or virtually.
Future goals
Looking ahead, we are excited by the upcoming opening of New College
(planned for the 2028/29 academic year)—a state-of-the-art facility that
will house both the School of International Relations and the Business
School. A full third of that space will be dedicated to executive
education. It will be a place not only for acquiring knowledge but for
thinking differently and exploring new ideas, away from the daily
pressures of professional life.
At its core, what we are building is a new model of executive education—one that is deeply embedded in the values of the university, aligned with global needs and dedicated to interdisciplinary collaboration. We are creating programs that do more than transfer knowledge; they equip individuals and organizations to adapt with purpose and integrity in a rapidly changing world.
We are at the beginning of a promising journey. But with the legacy of
St Andrews behind us and a clear vision for the future, I am confident
that we are well-positioned to offer executive education that is truly
distinctive—not only in how it is delivered, but in the enduring impact
it leaves behind.