Mandel MBA Program in Social Leadership (SLMBA) Study Visit Program, Brussels, Dec. 11-18, 2018
This Study Visit was part of the Guilford Glazer Faculty of Business and Management GGFBM's SLMBA curriculum. The delegation taking part to this Study Visit was composed of the twenty-one students attending this program. The Social Leadership MBA inculcates future leaders and decision-makers of both the Israeli public sphere and non-profit sector.
This Social Leadership MBA is a GGFBM post-graduate program co-funded by the Mandel Foundation, one of the largest foundations involved in Israel. It was first established with the aim to provide outstanding leadership for the nonprofit world. The Foundation supports leadership education programs in its own institutions and at selected universities and organizations.
This Study Visit was co-organized by the International Management Group, an International Organization leading the implementation and management of projects in international cooperation and development.
Brussels, the capital of Belgium, is not only one of the founding states of the European Union but also at the heart of the European institutions. This double status has provided Brussels with the largest concentration of diplomatic missions in the world, as well as lobbyists influencing policy-making, legislation and fundraising. This is particularly relevant for the Third Sector: Brussels is host to the European headquarters of a myriad of major NGOs and foundations. Of note, Belgium is recognized for its distinctive economic and social model.
In this context, the aim of this Study Visit was threefold:
(i) to familiarize participants with the European Union's institutions and functions
(ii) to demonstrate the importance of Brussels as the heart of EU institutions for the non-for-profit sector in the perspective of a hub for lobbying and funding
(iii) to promote exchanges with key academic and public institutions of Belgium in the third sector.
The exposure to those institutional and third sector players will serve as a tool to increase students' future professional expertise within their fields of interest, so they may face the challenges and responsibilities ahead of them.
The delegation was led by Prof. Pierre Kletz, Head of Mandel Program of Social Leadership MBA. Meetings began with officials of the EU: European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), The European Commission: the Political Executive of the EU. The next day was devoted to meetings wtih leading nonprofit executives, case studies and brain storming: Taxi Stop, AutoDelen, Stand up for Europe, Bruegel, South Asia Development Forum/Archumankind (SADF), Fonds Quartier Européen/ European Quarter Area Management Association (EQuAMA).
An outstanding meeting took place with Commissioner Carlos Moedas in charge of Research, Science and Innovation.
All this culminated in the SLMBA students choosing which ase studies to present before the Board of Examiners.
