For many people, training consists of acquiring new knowledge. This can be done in a variety of ways: Studying for a degree is one way and learning in practice is another. For Henley, the combination of the two is the best way since both types contribute to a complete learning outcome. This combination is rounded off by exposure to the experiences of other managers and companies.

Specifically, this means that various forms of experience exchange take place in the Henley Executive MBA. Firstly, the exchange between the students: At Henley, at least half of the learning takes place between the students, moderated by the faculty. The faculty knows a lot and can contribute current knowledge, but they never have the experience that the sixty students have. Henley therefore gives these experiences the space to become visible through appropriate didactics.

The second stage of experience exchange takes place through experienced and well-known guest speakers who convey their experiences on the module topic in a practice-oriented way. Here, the focus is also on the exchange with the students and their own experiences.

Level three is the company visit: students and faculty visit a company, learn about its approach and experiences and exchange ideas with the company representatives on an equal footing – no-one has the only perfect solution, but everyone can contribute their different perspectives to ensure that a viable solution is found. Guest speakers and company visits are based on giving and taking.

Through all of these approaches, Henley students expand their awareness of the thinking and perspectives of other industries and companies. They bring these insights into their work and thus represent an interface between their own company and many others. The exchange in these meetings also increases students’ self-confidence and gives them greater ease when dealing with new and curious things.