Cranfi eld University
Opening up opportunities to enhance leadership skills
Dr Paul Hughes
Director of Open Programmes Cranfi eld University
Known predominantly for its postgraduate-only focus, Cranfi eld University also provides a route, through the Cranfi eld School of Management’s Open Programmes, for anyone with some real-world experience, regardless whether they have academic qualifications or not, to enhance their knowledge, tools, skills and behaviours in all aspects of leadership and executive development, as well as a range of specialist topics, including key account management or supply chain management. Dr Paul Hughes rejoined Cranfi eld University late last
year, as Director of Open Programmes. He has had a varied career in the corporate world and in international execu- tive education, following his fi rst stint at Cranfi eld, where he earned his doctorate in 2017, including most recently with Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning, where he led the delivery of all the non-US corporate learning custom leadership development programmes. Here, he discusses the opportunities off ered by the
Open Programmes for anyone needing support as part of their career development.
What does the typical Open Programmes intake look like? T e important thing is that it is entirely self-referral, there’s typically no application process and you don’t need any existing qualifications. Occasionally, we might have a selection process, but that is simply to make sure that the programme is the right fi t for the candidate. We put a lot of eff ort into creating programmes that are
relevant and that resonate with people. When someone comes to us to do a Master’s that’s usually an intentional choice and something they have been considering for some time, whereas Open Programmes are more about employers encouraging their people to fi nd courses they need to develop in a particular area. Or to develop in a more general and wide-ranging way, to be equipped for a particular transition they are undertaking in their organi- sation, such as taking on a more senior role. So, someone who will need to operate with a way of working, that needs new skills, tools, behaviours or knowledge, and they come to us to fi nd out what we can do for them. T e programmes are open to anyone, but we work hard
to make sure from the start that they are in the right place and that the course will give them exactly what they need.
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