New initiative prepares global executives to navigate complexity, lead across borders and drive impact
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Minerva University, together with the Nippon Foundation today announced the launch of its World Wise Executive Leadership Development Program, a new initiative designed to prepare global leaders to navigate complexity and drive impact through an immersive, cross-cultural learning experience.
The World Wise Executive Leadership Development Program introduces a new offering within Minerva’s curriculum for mid-to senior-level professionals across the private, public and nonprofit sectors, preparing leaders to strengthen their skills, lead with cultural intelligence and drive measurable organizational impact.
“At both the graduate and undergraduate levels, Minerva has developed leaders from more than 100 countries who thrive in complex, rapidly changing global environments,” said President Mike Magee. “This expansion into executive leadership programs builds on our mission to develop globally adaptive, ethically grounded leaders at pivotal career moments.”
Over the course of six months, participants, known as “World Wise Executives,” will participate in weekly classes where they will learn to lead teams across borders, develop persuasive communication techniques and make high-stakes decisions in interdependent systems. The program blends online coursework, in-person components and ongoing community engagement, including a kickoff in Tokyo, modular executive courses and, following the completion of the courses, a one-week immersive in-person World Wise Leadership Accelerator. An optional Professional English Discussion Bootcamp will be offered prior to the program start.
“This initiative arrives at a critical time,” said Patrice McMahon, provost of Minerva University. “Organizations increasingly need leaders who can operate across borders with agility, cultural empathy and strategic foresight. Global volatility, technological disruption and cross-cultural interdependence define today’s societal and organizational landscape, and this program prepares executives to meet these challenges head-on.”
The program will follow a regional cohort model to deepen cultural intelligence and peer learning. Applications open January 15, and the inaugural East Asia pilot cohort will begin in June 2026, with additional regions to follow.
About Minerva University
Minerva University is redefining global higher education through a bold, outcomes-focused model designed to empower the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and changemakers. Headquartered in San Francisco and operating across four continents, Minerva offers an intensive undergraduate experience that combines rigorous academics, real-world engagement, and a global rotation that immerses students in diverse cultural and professional contexts.
Minerva’s interdisciplinary curriculum emphasizes critical thinking, creative problem solving, effective communication, and global collaboration. Through fully active, discussion-based seminars and applied learning projects in major cities around the world, students develop the habits of mind and practical skills needed to address the most pressing challenges of our time.
The university has built a vibrant, international student body representing over 100 nations, and graduates have gone on to launch high-impact startups, lead civic initiatives, earn Rhodes, Schwarzman, and Knight-Hennessy scholarships, and pursue graduate study at institutions such as Oxford, Harvard, and Stanford.
Minerva also offers a graduate program focused on equipping working professionals with the tools to drive innovation and impact in their fields.
Ranked the #1 Most Innovative University for four consecutive years by the World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI), Minerva is pioneering a scalable, equitable, and transformative model of higher education for the 21st century.
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