creating innovative entrepreneurial environment,

not only teaching leadership skills but building leadership identities
appreciation of different cultures

Advanced Leadership Initiative at Harvard University

A collaboration of faculty at Harvard University has developed a bold, academic innovation that has the potential to become another facet of higher education, change the concept of "retirement" and help change the world for the better. The Advanced Leadership Initiative is a new third stage in higher education designed to prepare experienced leaders to take on new challenges in the social sector where they potentially can make an even greater societal impact than they did in their careers.

The Advanced Leadership was formed by faculty drawn from Harvard's professional schools of law, business, government, education, medicine and public health to build knowledge about societal challenges requiring interdisciplinary leadership skills and to capitalize on demographic changes that created opportunities to educate and deploy accomplished leaders at later life stages in public service.

Systemic problems such as poverty, global health, environmental degradation, and basic education also have political and technical dimensions that cannot be solved by a simple one-off approach. Research universities are uniquely positioned to close knowledge gaps by finding new ways to develop and implement comprehensive solutions through integrative research and educational innovation.

Further, a huge demographic shift is underway as baby boomers—some 72 million in the U.S alone have begun retiring this year at the rate of 8,000 per day according to AARP. Boomers who have benefitted from unprecedented levels of health, education and prosperity, will also enjoy a retirement that is longer, more active and more productive than any previous generation. Engaging these talented, energetic, high achieving individuals in their third stage of life in meaningful social purpose projects can be an opportunity to unlock and more fully utilize one of society's scarcest resources: productive human capital and channel into a major force of societal good.

Through the Advanced Leadership Initiative, Harvard is seeking to tap the experience of a socially conscious generation of leaders and help redirect and broaden their skills to fill critical leadership gaps in solving major social issues. Starting in February 2009, a select group of Fellows from diverse sectors with a track record of achievement and accomplishment will come to Harvard as they transition from their primary income-earning careers and prepare for their next phase plan as change agents for society.