The Kelley School of Business at Indiana University in the US has received a gift of $2m to support its distance learning initiatives.
A large proportion of the money will be used to fund the school’s new Global Leaders Network (GLN) - a worldwide, online network of experts who are available to provide advice to students on real-world business issues. The remainder - $500,000 - will be used to provide resources for the school’s consulting academy, institute and workshop aimed at those students aspiring to a career in management consulting.
The gift is from the former chief executive of AT Kearney Fred Steingraber, an alumnus of Indiana University. The GLN, initially implemented through the school’s online MBA programme - Kelley Direct - will provide learning resources for students throughout Kelley’s programmes, including the MBA programme, executive education and undergraduate programmes.
The GLN will offer video resources online, such as podcasts and real-time interactive discussions and business executives and faculty from other business schools worldwide will contribute to the network.
“Unlike face-to-face programmes, access to the Global Leaders Network’s contributors will not be limited to the normal constraints of time and space,” says Kelley Direct chair Richard Magjuka.
“Instead, business executives who are part of the GLN can have discussions and contribute content to the network at anytime from anywhere.”
Kelley Direct was launched in 1999 with 14 students, today the programme serves 1,250 participants.
