OVERVIEW
“I have been putting the lessons I learned at the Strategic Management for Leaders of Non-Governmental Organizations program into practice. I have started several initiatives at my university connected to governance, strategic planning, and improving functioning of structural divisions. A great outcome of the program for me was that it increased my self-confidence – I am sure that these initiatives are needed and that I can succeed.”
Kakhaber Gordadze, Chairman, Gori Regional Education Fund, Georgia
As many nations have undergone dramatic political and economic changes in the past two decades, the civil society sector in those countries has also experienced a rapid metamorphosis. While non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were virtually nonexistent during the Cold War era, thousands of domestic and international NGOs of all sizes began operating in the 1990s, establishing a vibrant civil society sector to accompany new government regimes and economic development. After this rapid expansion, the sector is now consolidating, and NGOs face the challenge of defining sustainable roles in service provision, advocacy, and policy.
The Strategic Management for Leaders of Non-Government Organizations Executive Education program is designed to give NGO leaders the tools, perspectives, and frameworks needed to strengthen their organizations, engage constituent communities, and cultivate long-term partnerships and commitments. Through cutting edge research, case studies, and presentations tailored to the unique needs of NGOs, this program provides the skills NGO leaders need to make informed and strategically sound decisions.
Strategic Management for Leaders of Non-Governmental Organizations is a four-day Executive Education program designed and taught by Harvard faculty and researchers and offered at the Athens Information Technology (AIT) institute in Athens, Greece, in partnership with the Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations, the Kokkalis Foundation, the Kokkalis Program on Southeastern and East-Central Europe, and John F. Kennedy School of Government’s Middle East Initiative.
Partners
The Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations is a university-wide research center at Harvard University that pursues dispassionate research and education, promoting critical thinking about the importance, roles, and performance of civic organizations. While the name speaks specifically to the nonprofit sector, the Center’s research has expanded over the years to include other organizations of civil society as well.
The Hauser Center comprises a community of Harvard researchers, faculty, staff, students, and practitioners linked to similar individuals in the U.S. and around the world. The Center’s work is disseminated through publications, conferences, seminars, lectures, courses, and scholarly testimony before public bodies at the international, national, and local levels. In order to produce the highest quality research, the Center’s community represents a broad range of disciplines, intellectual approaches, and interests. This approach best reflects the breadth of the field and allows the Center to draw from and build upon a fuller range of experiences, perspectives, and frameworks.
Kokkalis Program on Southeastern and East-Central Europe is based at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, and is focused on enhancing the quality of stability, democracy, prosperity, and institutional vitality in Southeastern and East-Central Europe and beyond. The Kokkalis Program supports an integrated network of educational, research, and outreach activities that prepare individuals for leadership roles in public service and bring together practitioners, scholars, and students to encourage enterprising solutions to contemporary policy challenges facing the region.
The Middle East Initiative of Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government was established in order to deepen and strengthen the Kennedy School's relationship with the governments of the Middle East. The mission of the Middle East Initiative is to provide executive education for mid and senior level public policy officials, corporate executives, NGO leaders, educators, and leaders of civil society from the Middle East on the issues of governance, leadership, strategic management, and innovation; to provide research opportunities on issues of critical importance to Harvard faculty and their Middle Eastern counterparts; and to raise the level of knowledge in the Kennedy School about issues related to the Middle East.
The Kokkalis Foundation was established in 1997 to facilitate peace, international cooperation, and prosperity in Southeastern Europe and beyond. Its activities aim to contribute directly to the development of the public, cultural and scientific life of the region through initiatives that affect the social, educational and material well-being of the region. The Kokkalis Foundation has supported philanthropic endeavors and a wide-range of initiatives in four broad categories: education and scientific research, medicine, bridging the digital divide and knowledge gap in resource-strapped societies, and the humanitarian power of sports.
Established in 2002, Athens Information Technology (AIT) is a non-profit center of excellence for research and graduate education in the fields of information technology, telecommunications, electronics and technology and innovation management. It offers three Master of Science degrees in cutting-edge/future ICT trends as well as executive training and summer school programs. With state-of-the art teaching and research facilities, AIT's international student body represents 25 countries from around the world, and its faculty include international award and grant winners for achievements in their respective fields and research areas.