Upcoming Certificate Program in Global Business Leadership Feeds Upskilling Demand

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UPDATE: Program dates have been updated, and the Executive Certificate in Global Business Leadership program now will be held from September 13, 2022, through June 3, 2023. Apply by August, 27, 2022.


Entrepreneurial leaders in today’s complex world must learn and adapt to meet global challenges, Professor of Management Wendy Murphy said.

“At Babson, we teach entrepreneurial leaders of all kinds to identify problems and seek opportunities as a core competency,” said Murphy, associate dean of the undergraduate school. “Our method of Entrepreneurial Thought & Action® (ET&A™) provides a platform for leaders to take action—to try new approaches, take intentional steps forward, and innovate.”

Entrepreneurs and growth-minded professionals worldwide can advance their skills beginning early next year through a joint program powered by Babson Executive Education and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

The partnership between Babson College and UNITAR will provide interested participants an opportunity to earn an Executive Certificate in Global Business Leadership. Murphy is a co-director of the joint certificate program, along with Jérôme L’Host, senior consultant for UNITAR, the autonomous body within the United Nations that provides programming and workshops to help individuals, institutions, and organizations overcome global challenges.

Babson Professor of Management Wendy Murphy
Babson Professor of Management Wendy Murphy

During a November 22 webinar, Murphy and L’Host talked about the “unique partnership” between Babson and UNITAR and how it can benefit those who enroll in the live online certificate program that runs from September 13, 2002, through June 3, 2023.

The world needs “creative problem-solvers,” Murphy said during the webinar, adding the executive certificate program “will really fuse together the global capabilities of UNITAR with the entrepreneurial leadership capabilities of Babson to provide a solid foundation of skills” to those who complete the six-course program. “What’s exciting about this partnership is that it’s building on the core capabilities of both organizations.”

L’Host described the partnership between Babson and UNITAR as “something unprecedented,” saying it will promote reskilling and upskilling in this time of uncertainty amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and would help “prepare one to become a modern entrepreneurial leader on the global scale.”

Welcoming New Ideas

“Entrepreneurial leadership, which was once a competitive advantage, is now a necessity,” L’Host said during the webinar, echoing ideas shared by Babson Professor Andrew Corbett in a September 2020 column published by Entrepreneur Media Inc. “Now, a real change is really required in the way we lead.”

L’Host also talked about the importance of emotional intelligence in leadership, saying it is “really essential” for leaders to create a compassionate work environment.

“Leaders are not perfect,” he said. “Leaders need to be open to accepting new ideas that may benefit the entire business.”

Murphy echoed those sentiments, saying entrepreneurial leaders “really have to develop that capability of constantly learning on their own as well as learning through others.”

“What’s exciting about this partnership is that it’s building on the core capabilities of both organizations.”

Babson Professor of Management Wendy Murphy

Developing Global Skills

UNITAR Executive Director Nikhil Seth addressed the webinar audience, where he championed the joint program as an asset that will help individuals “develop basic and advanced skills of entrepreneurial leadership on a global scale.”

The program is aimed at “preparing participants to handle modern business challenges,” Seth said, “and provide them with tools to empower themselves to become truly innovative leaders.”

People worldwide attended the webinar, including attendees from Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the United States—suggesting global demand exists for the certificate program.

“This distinctive level of leadership education with a global focus is more relevant and necessary than ever for top leaders across the globe,” Babson College President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD, said in a statement. “Entrepreneurial skills are increasingly in high demand for today’s business. The world as we know it is changing at lightning-fast rates requiring new skills and competencies. It is imperative we adapt to the needs and demands of the future generation.”

The Executive Certificate in Global Business Leadership program comprises three Babson Executive Education courses and three UNITAR courses taught over an 11-month period. The instruction will include nine days of live online classes as well as pre-work or post-work for each course.

The certificate program costs $9,900, and those interested in enrolling must apply by January 26, 2022. No scholarships or fee waivers are available at this time.

Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership

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