Segovia, April 10 2008 â?? Following the acquisition of a Spanish university by the IE Higher Education group in January of 2007, the rollout of IE University has now officially commenced. The University project has been conceived to provide an academically rigorous but innovative approach to undergraduate and post graduate education, initially focused on disciplines that include architecture, humanities and liberal arts and communication. The institution will be developed around the core values of an international outlook, innovation at the heart of learning, and the utilization of new technologies, imbuing students with an entrepreneurial mindset and a humanitarian spirit.
Why a new model?
The processes of globalization have created pressures and opportunities that require innovative resolutions and solutions. With an ever increasing demand from both business and society for committed, socially aware, change agents the University will help participants to understand the changing demands of the world around them. Housed in the 12th century Monastery of Santa Cruz la Real, IE university fuses traditional academic disciplines with the highly innovative approaches to management developed at IE Business School. This will provide young scholars with the opportunity to develop their thinking in a highly international environment, working in cross-cultural, diverse teams, to find solutions to the complex questions of the 21st century.
With the expected increase in the number of students seeking higher education programs outside their home countries following the standardization of education systems throughout Europe as part of the Bologna accord, IE University will be positioned to provide a high quality international offering. The aim is to have 70% of students drawn from outside Spain within two years.
How does it function?
Utilizing multi-disciplinary learning methodologies which bring together online and presential formats, the university aims to shape a new model of knowledge dissemination. The focus is on a more open and collaborative style of learning and knowledge creation. Through the historic buildings of Segovia and the cutting edge online campus, the university has been designed to work within a wider social agenda, seeking to actively participate in and shape major global debates. There will be a single faculty for the entire institution. Faculty for the University and the Business school will operate in an interdisciplinary, cross departmental manner, promoting new models for research and teaching
â??We are looking to build a continental Oxford, characterized by academic rigor and quality, whilst remaining focused on solving the issues we see around us today and in the future. With this ambitious project we are seeking to create a new university model, where the professors and knowledge flow amongst the different disciplines, programs and mediums. We will give our students a global vision, creating enterprising, innovative professionals with a strong sense of social awareness. We have felt the demand for this already from companies and individuals, but feel that we can take a more active role in the key discussions in societyâ? commented Santiago Iñiguez, Rector of IE University.
What programs will be offered?
The programs offered by the University have all been designed to comply with the regulations set out in the Bologna Accord. Initial programs will include Bachelor degrees in Communication and Architecture. For the 2009 academic year Bachelor degrees in Organizational Psychology, Business administration, Business and Law, Law, Law and International relations. There will also be a number of Masters programs in the areas of architecture, communication, psychology, law and humanities. Modules in Management and the Humanities will form a core element of all the degree programs at IE University.
Senior Management Team
Santiago Iñiguez, the highly respected Dean of IE Business School will be taking up the position of Rector of IE University. His tenure as Dean at IE has been marked by the school achieving global recognition for its Management programs, positioning the school as one of Europeâ??s top business schools. His aim is to leverage the methodologies and capabilities developed at the Business School to help create a new model for higher education in Europe. A number of other Respected academics from IE Business School will take up a number of key positions; Vice-Rector of faculty, Salvador Carmona, Vice-Rector of research, Gayle Allard and Vice-Rector of administration, Juan Luis Martinez will be key members of the Senior management team.
IE Higher Education
IE University is a standalone entity within the IE Higher Education group. The group is comprised of IE University, IE Business School, and IE Executive Education. Each of the entities operates separately although the faculty is centralized for the group. The President of the group is Diego Alcazar, founder of IE Business School.
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