Learning to adapt
For Andrew Keating, preparing students for the future is not simply about keeping pace with the latest developments in management. As Academic Director of the CEMS Programme at UCD Smurfit School, he sees this as giving students strong foundations while developing the flexibility to respond as technologies, organisations and expectations evolve.
This also means connecting academic learning with practice – through projects, interaction with companies and experiences that challenge students to apply their knowledge in different contexts. That bridge between the academic and business worlds is at the very heart of CEMS.
The power CEMS, and the network involved, opens the world to the students. The programme prepares them for different aspects in their careers, and to be flexible enough to adapt to the changes in their environment.
Developing the whole person
Keating also highlights the importance of balancing theory and practice, and intellectual development with professional and personal growth. A demanding learning experience, in his view, should not simply build knowledge: it should challenge students to manage competing priorities, apply what they learn and grow through the experience.
The world we're in now versus the world we’ll be in five years from now will be very, very different. We are preparing CEMS students to be able to manage these changes and to be able to manage themselves in very tough environments.
Listen to the full episode of UCD Business Impact to hear Andrew Keating discuss preparing students for change, balancing theory and practice, managing the demands of the programme and his advice for prospective students.
