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Special Dossier: Vlerick's blueprintfor the future


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December 2008 Orator 30 | 3

With a new Dean at the helm of Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School and the newacademic year now well under way, our special dossier turns the spotlight on the School.

What daring dreams has the School fullled recently and what new concrete plans are inthe pipeline? What place does Vlerick occupy in the international arena as an academicbusiness school and how will it pursue its international strategy? How can the Schooldene and full its social role in the future? What challenges does this bring? And whatdoes all this mean for students, alumni, companies, academic research and the Schoolsown staff members?

Vlericks blueprintfor the future

Special Dossier


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4 | Orator 30 December 2008

Haspeslagh: he international MBA inSt Petersburg and BiMBA, the interna-

tional MBA we offer in partnership withPeking University, are two examples of our success in this area. he Dean feelsthis is not enough in the long term, how-ever. Even though were doing wellin the rankings, theres still scope forboosting the international profile of ourbrand name. Haspeslagh is realisticabout the Schools current degree of internationalisation, but is positive aboutthe future. Vlerick Leuven GentManagement School cannot afford torest on its laurels. Competition betweenbusiness schools is hotting up and clientsare demanding more and more in termsof quality and the international characterof that quality. Internationalisation isalso an important component in the way the rankings are decided. Haspeslagh:If youre well up in the rankings, yourbrand name and reputation attract thebest students and you find yourself oncorporate shortlists.

Three prioritiesSince he officially took up office on1 September 2008, Haspeslagh has

touched base with members of staff inevery department. his has given him agood idea of the Schools strengths, but

Creating one internat ional, open business school

Dean Philippe Haspeslagh: Vlerick needs world-classinternational and Belgian talent

Strong brandVlerick has always enjoyed a strong

position in Flanders, explains ProfessorPhilippe Haspeslagh. A position une-qualled elsewhere. Other countries havenational business schools, too, buttheyve not really become householdnames. According to Haspeslagh, Vlericks unique status has its roots inthe philosophy of the Schools founder,Dries Vlerick, and more recently itsinstitutional context. We are the inde-pendent business school of two topuniversities and have close ties withboth. Some business schools have anexcellent grasp of theory, but are nottuned in to the needs of managers in thereal world. Other schools mainly usepeople with practical business experiencein their teaching programmes. Vlericksstrength is the very fact that it offers acombination of academic research andpractical relevance. Haspeslagh adds,however: Our strong brand name, whichis a real asset in Belgium, is not yet some-thing we can fall back on abroad. It willtake time to make a name for ourselvesoutside Belgium.

International focusNevertheless, the Schools internationalstrategy is already beginning to pay off.

Te appointment of Dean Philippe Haspeslagh has blown a breath of fresh air through the

corridors of Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School. His biggest challenge is to position Vlerickrmly in the international market without creating two separate schools. He also plans todevelop faculty staff and ensure that the new generation is ready and able to provide continuingsupport to the international and Flemish business community. Last but not least, he argues that Vlerick must think and act as one, presenting a united front to the world.

Special Dossier: Vlericks blueprint for the future

Dean Philippe Haspeslagh on the School's future


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N De Nederlandstalige versie van dit artikelvindt u op www.vlerick.be/news/magazine

also the challenges that lie ahead. I havethree priorities. he first is to developboth faculty staff and internal manage-

ment, because were a supply-drivenbusiness where professionalism is thebyword. Secondly, as I mentioned earlier,internationalisation must play a moreprominent part. he third priority is that Vlerick must think and act as one,presenting a united front both in-house together with the alumni and to theoutside world. So is it safe to assume

that there are already many projects inthe pipeline in each of these areas, someinvolving serious investment?Haspeslagh: here certainly are.Fortunately, I have a good managementteam and highly dedicated staff, other-wise I wouldnt dare push ahead so fast.

In the current economic climateHaspeslagh expects training to comeunder increasing threat in the business

world. Particularly as regards openenrolment programmes. Because of thewar for talent, companies cannot afford

to prune their entire training budget, buttraining demand is definitely changing.Clients used to ask for two days of mar-keting for x employees. Now they wantsomething more professional, more dis-cerning, more target group-oriented.Simple client-supplier relationships areevolving into partnerships.

MBA becomes School's agshipWithin the range of programmes offeredby the School, the repositioning of theMBA programmes is an important itemon the Deans agenda. We want to pro-mote the international MBAs as theflagship of the School. Specifically, thismeans developing both the internationalMBA in Leuven and the platform inSt Petersburg, and expanding our colla-boration with Peking University. We alsowant to intensify the interaction betweeninternational students.

Cross-functional researchhe development of research will also

continue to be a focal point. he empha-sis must shift more towards cross-func-

tional research into subjects that are vitalto businesses. Individual researchersmust come down from their ivory tower,

learn to look beyond the boundaries of their own field, or, in other words, adopta more multidisciplinary approach in

their work.International ambassadors A special role is reserved for alumni inthe internationalisation process. hey provide essential feedback from thebusiness world and act as ambassadorsfor Vlerick. With the School forming thelinchpin, I want to invest in the website,interactive platforms, support and facili-ties for the benefit of our alumni.Investing in face-to-face meetings is alsofeasible in Western Europe.

Dean Haspeslagh does not like change forits own sake. Naturally, it will take anenormous effort to maintain the interna-tionalisation momentum. Our close-knitties with Flanders do not need to suffer,however. We are what we are today because of Flemish companies and wellcontinue to be their partners. Policy sup-port work will not be neglected either.Haspeslagh concludes by saying:Entrepreneurship is about more than just starting a venture; its about buildingon what youve started.

Entrepreneursh ip is aboutmore than just start ing a

venture; its about bu ildingon what youve started

Interaction and exchange between international MBA students in Belg ium, Russia and China to be stepped up.


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ment and performance management. DeGreve: The participants and clientsinvolved in the open enrolmentprogrammes are 60-70% local and30-40% international. In the tailoredprogrammes, the ratio is reversed.

ComplexityThe business world is changing rapidly,so the training sector cannot afford tostand still. De Greve discerns trends inthe executive education business anddevelopments affecting both clients andstaff. Executive education is an expan-ding market. Vlerick has been offeringthese programmes for many years, but agrowing number of business schools andother professional providers are nowdoing likewise. The reason is all tooobvious. De Greve: Training needs inthe market are increasing. Labourshortages mean that it is now moreimportant for companies to retainpersonnel. Another thing weve noticed

is that more attention is being givento management careers and careerdevelopment.

Vlerick offers two types of managementprogrammes for experienced professionals.First of all, there are the open enrolmentprogrammes, explains Patrick De Greve.Ninety of these are available for indi-viduals from various organisations andsectors: 20 long-term programmescomprising more than 20 days trainingand 70 short-term courses of less than10 days. Then there are our in-houseprogrammes, which are tailored to anorganisations specific training needs.

The programmes cover a wide range of knowledge domains: accounting &finance, general management, gover-nance & ethics, human resourcemanagement (HRM), innovation &entrepreneurship, marketing & sales,operations & technology management,organisational behaviour and strategy.The School also offers a limited numberof programmes for specific industries.There is a huge choice of subjects within

each domain. The top three favouritesrequested by the business sector arecurrently strategy, leadership develop-


Training demandsare becoming

increasingly complexand international

Executive education

More complex demands, greater training needs and a new rolefor teaching staff those are the main trends in the executiveeducation market according to General Director PatrickDe Greve. Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School is ready

to take on its role as partner in management development.With 23% more executive programmes on offer, Vlerick clearly has

increasing appeal for the business world.

Partners in managementdevelopment


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General Director Patrick De Greve: Vlerick is a realpartner in management development

The demands made by clients on provi-ders are also changing, becoming moresophisticated and complex, according toDe Greve. Clients used to ask for twodays of marketing for x employees. Nowthey want something more professional,more discerning, more target group-oriented. Another trend is the demandfor shorter training programmes. Thiscalls for creativity in learning architec-tures. How do we intensify the impactwithin a shorter period of time whilemaintaining quality thats the question.Not just the type but also the format of programmes on offer is changing,however. What were seeing is that moreand more programmes are taking placeoutside the classroom. Theres a growingneed for coaching and training on the job, and project work is rapidly catchingon. De Greve is critical of the predictedrise in e-learning: Theres a lot of talk

about e-learning, but its not somethingthat our clients are looking for yet. Ihave seen an increase in blendedlearning, though.

FacilitatorStaffing levels are being adapted to matchclient demand. De Greve: Changes in theexecutive education business and inclient requirements have prompted us toreview the staff situation. The number of programmes this year is up by more than23% on last year, so were planningto take on extra staff. Thats quite achallenge. Were looking for determined,academically trained people who want tocome down from their ivory tower. They also need to be business-oriented, enjoy teaching and be prepared to take onbusiness-related challenges. Thats ascarce commodity.

Besides trying to increase staffing levels, Vlerick also has a training programmefor existing personnel. As a result of changing client requirements, our ownprofessors are expected to meet different

demands these days. On the one hand,they have to have more in-depth exper-tise, while on the other, they need a more

interdisciplinary mindset. The staffsrole is also changing. A lecturer isgradually taking on the mantle of coachand facilitator. In response to thequestion whether Vlerick is prepared forthe changes taking place in the trainingsector, De Greve is wholeheartedly positive. Vlerick likes complex demands.We used to have client-supplier relation-ships, but over the years weve shiftedmore towards partnerships. Partners inmanagement development. Youre in safehands with us.

International locations Vlerick still offers its programmes formore experienced managers mainly inBelgium. De Greve: Globalisation withrespect for diversity is a challenge.We provide our open enrolment pro-grammes chiefly in the home market.The tailored programmes are rather more

international. We organise trainingcourses for some companies in theiroffices worldwide, from China toCanada, from Vladivostok to the MiddleEast. The advantages that Vlerick hasto offer are its flexibility and customer-oriented approach. Theres plenty of room between the elephants feet, youmight say. Our School is still a relatively small organisation, so were able torespond and adapt quickly to new situa-tions. And perhaps humility andentrepreneurship are also inherent inthe Flemish culture, laughs De Greve.

The campuses in St Petersburg andBeijing currently offer a part-time anda full-time MBA programme, but noopen enrolment executive educationprogrammes as yet. It costs a lot of money to put together and market acarefully thought-out portfolio. We doalready provide in-house programmes,however. De Greve expects there to be alimited number of market-tested openenrolment programmes available inSt Petersburg within a year or two.

Initially using teaching staff fromBelgium, but the idea is to steadily increase the number of lecturers from

Russia. As far as Beijing is concerned, itstoo early to make any decisions yet. Forthe moment lets work on building ourreputation by providing top-quality MBA programmes and in-house trainingfor Chinese companies. As Vlerickcontinues to expand its internationalhorizons, international managers willhave even more opportunities to brushup their management expertise withinthe portfolio of executive educationprogrammes.


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he difference is due to the nature of thetwo programmes. Part-time MBA stu-dents also have a job. In St Petersburg,Russian is the predominant nationality, asis Chinese in China. But that doesntmean its a local programme, stressesBuyens. he international character of our MBA provides important added valueat all our campuses.

AdvantagesBesides the international flavour of itsMBA, Vlerick has other benefits to offer.Our MBA is a despecialisation pro-gramme, meaning that we tackle thevarious disciplines in an integrated way. All students go through the same learningprocess. he advantage of this is thatthere is interaction between the lecturerand the experts in the classroom. A second

plus point is the opportunity for network-ing. he students are together in thesame group for either one or two years. It

partnership with Amsterdam BusinessSchool. he latter option is spread over18 months and comprises three-weekly weekend sessions, held alternately inLeuven and Amsterdam, and four residen-tial weeks, explains Buyens. he EMBA caters to the busy schedule of executiveswho cannot free up time every week toattend classes at a fixed location, becausetheir job involves international travel,for example.

International melting poto study for an MBA, participants need to

have at least three years work experience.Buyens again: We offer three Mastersprogrammes for fairly new graduates:General Management, Marketing andFinance. he MBA programmes are aninternational melting pot. 80% of the

students doing a full-time MBA at one of our Belgian campuses are not Belgian,25% in the case of the part-time MBA.


A Vlerick MBA ,

Te MBA programmes offered by Vlerick have evolved in severalways over the past few years: the School has expanded itsinternational horizons by offering its MBA in Russia and China, abigger range of different formats is now available and teachingmethods have been revised. Besides the full-time and part-timeMBA, executives with a busy international schedule now have theoption of doing an Independent Executive MBA. Te additionalrequirement to complete a social project for the full-time MBA caters to the business sectors growing interest in sustainabledevelopment. Professor Dirk Buyens looks at the key advantages of Vlericks agship programme and the challenges ahead.

a cognitive and social experience

Different MBA formatsOur philosophy is clear. We have oneMBA, but several different formats, saysProfessor Dirk Buyens, Academic Deanand head of the HRM Competence Centre.

he international full-time MBA is avail-able at the Leuven campus and in Beijingand is aimed at people who are taking ayears sabbatical to find new inspiration orto give their career a fresh boost. heinternational part-time MBA is offered atthe Ghent, Leuven and St Petersburg cam-puses and in Beijing. his two-year MBA format is designed for people wishing togain a further qualification whilst work-ing. Candidates seeking to do a part-timeMBA in Dutch can do so at the Ghentcampus. Vlericks portfolio also includestwo modular MBAs: the MBA in FinancialServices and Insurance, in conjunction

with the University of St Gallen and HECMontreal, and the Independent ExecutiveMBA (EMBA), a programme offered in

Professor Dirk Buyens, Academic Deanand head of the HRM CompetenceCentre: Te social dimension of amanagers role will become moreimportant in the future


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considerable success, judging by thenegligible drop-out rate.

Dotting the ishe full-time MBA is currently under

review. Were extending the programmeby two months to 12 months, despitepressure to shorten it. he additional timewill be devoted to a social project. hesocial dimension of a managers role willbecome more important in the future, andinterest in sustainable business practice isalso growing in the business sector.

Another increasingly significant aspectwill be exchanges with other campuses.Starting next year, students from theBelgian campuses will spend two weeks inChina. But it wont be just a sightseeingtrip, warns Buyens. heyll be takingcourses. He is convinced that thesechanges will make the MBA programmeeven more appealing. In his view, the big-gest challenges ahead are to strengthen Vlericks international brand name andsustain the drive to modernise teachingmethods. raditional education willalways be there, but digital media will alsoclaim a place and will be incorporated intothe learning architecture.

is both a cognitive and a social experiencefor them. he focus on research throughthe Schools three spearheads, CorporateSocial Responsibility, Doing Business inEurope and echnological Venturing, isanother reason why people choose tostudy at Vlerick. Because of the way werestructured, developments in these researchfields are immediately incorporated intothe course material. Our researchers alsoteach, so it stands to reason there will be atransfer of knowledge. Buyens adds thatmany students appreciate the balancebetween theory and practice. We haveclose ties with business; most of the profes-sors juggle active involvement in thissector with their academic responsibilities.So were firmly grounded in the real world.

Besides the academic advantages, Vlerickdevotes special attention to providing a

range of services. Our Career ServicesOffice was set up in 2002 and has accumu-lated a wealth of experience since then. Itstask is not only to advise full-time MBA students as to a careers programme andcoach them in their hunt for a suitable joband employer, but also to introduce com-panies to the students. With a maximumgroup size of 65 students, networking andpersonal coaching are still feasible.

Home (far) from home

he main impact of an MBA on peopleslives is the opportunity to broaden theirknowledge. ime for reflection is also very

important. Buyens explains: Its a turningpoint in your career. A chance to revitaliseyour mind and then perhaps embark on afresh start. Sometimes you see peoplechanging direction. Others become even

more firmly convinced that theyre in theright field, but take a more generalistview. And then there are people who makethe most of the opportunity to createsomething for themselves. For part-timeMBA participants, the programme is lessoften a turning point in their career, butthey do gain a different, richer perspectiveon their chosen field of work.

he opportunity for reflection takes onan extra dimension for internationalstudents. After all, theyre far fromhome, points out Buyens. And they musthave had reasons for choosing to study abroad. Vlerick is doing well in the rank-ings and there are few schools that holdtriple accreditation. he School also takesspecial care of its international students. hey are allocated a mentor, a Vlerickalumnus, who ensures that they soon feelat home in Belgium and takes them tosocial events or welcomes them into theirhome. Belgians dont have the most openculture, so we structure the arrangement[laughs]. Students sometimes get home-sick and we have to deal with that, too, of

course. You need to feel at home to be ableto perform well and thats something wework on constantly. And with some


The biggest challengesahead are to strengthen Vlericks international

brand name and sustainthe drive to revise teaching

methods


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Rafferty points out that it is important forstudents not just to look at the number of a specific ranking: My advice is tocompare several rankings when choosinga school. You have to evaluate whetherwhat is being measured is an importantconsideration for you. If you feel thatnetworking opportunities is an importantaspect, than make sure the ranking youlook at measures this as well. If youd liketo study in Europe, then just look atEuropean rankings.He finds rankings important: However, Vlerick does not regard raising its positionin the rankings as an absolute objective.Its worthwhile as long as its the result of the improvements the School has madeunder the stimulus of its own strategicobjectives. We also believe that rankingsshould be taken seriously only if they show a stable pattern over time.

Accreditation Accreditations are judgements by busi-ness schools among themselves. Rafferty:

Peter Rafferty, Director International BusinessDevelopment: Te most important challenge is to havethe human resources to fu ll our ambitions.

Rankings and accreditations are oftenmentioned in the same breath. Rafferty stresses that there is a big differencebetween them. Rankings tend to behistorical and essentially put together by publishers. wo of the most influentialrankings are those of he Economist andthe Financial imes. Comparing theposition of Vlerick in those rankings (see

able 1), we can see big differences.Rafferty: hese are very easy to explain.

he methodology behind the rankingsdiffers. he F ranking, for example, isbased on three main criteria: the careerprogression of alumni (salary), diversity of experience and research capabilities. Inother words, they put a 45% weightingon salary and largely exclude personaldevelopment, extent of internationalnetworking and the quality of fellowstudents. he Economist ranking is morestudent-centric. Rafferty: It measures

the way the schools meet the demandsof the students. Salary carries a weightingof 20%.


Accreditations and rankings are important for the

recognition, reputation and visibility of business schools.In this interview Peter Rafferty, Director of InternationalBusiness, explains the difference between these twoaccolades. Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School isdoing well in both areas, the result of intensive andconsistent efforts by all concerned. From boardmembers, staff, alumni to current students: everyoneadds to the success of the School locally and

internationally, says Rafferty.

Rankings and accreditationsshowcase Vlericks


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You can compare those accreditationswith the ISO system in the business world.Our School is one of a select group of institutions that holds all three of the major international accreditationsrelevant to the world of managementeducation: EQUIS, AMBA and AACSB. All three have the same procedure:application, eligibility, self-assessment,peer review and continuous improve-ment. Rafferty is very happy with theaccreditations: It signifies that ourmanagement education and researchcorrespond to the highest quality stan-dards in the world. Its important because

it is a distinction that raises the Schoolsrecognition, reputation and visibility and,at the same time, provides a benchmarkfor defining the necessary actions thatwill place the School on an even higherlevel.

Both rankings and accreditations areimportant. Students ask for them. If youre going to pay tens of thousands of

euros for your tuition, its only natural toseek impartial judgement on the quality of the school. Not only for students arethey important. Rafferty: With thoserankings and accreditations we can provethat we operate at the best level in theworld in our field of activity. Wereshowing all our stakeholders that they canhave confidence in us. For fundraising,rankings and accreditation can be of tremendous importance.

International impactWhy is Vlerick doing so well? Rafferty: he general reason is that we offer a

complete educational experience. We areacademic-oriented, have links withbusiness and have a proven alumninetwork, which results in a rather holisticapproach to management education. As ateam we have a balanced approach. Andhe stresses another very important point:We would not be as high in the rankingsif we had not embarked on our interna-tionalisation strategy in 1999. From alocal Flemish school we have grown intoan international business school with anextensive MBA programme; 96% of ourstudent body is international and eachyear we have around 40 nationalities inour classrooms.

he international journey has not yetreached an end. Rafferty: We have astrong basis in Russia and China now. Andwe have plans for India and Brazil in thefuture. he most important challenge isto have the human resources to fulfil our

Accreditations are

important because theyare a distinction that raisesthe Schools recognition,reputation and visibilityand, at the same time,provides a benchmark

position in the world

ambitions. Finally, Rafferty stresses theimportance of the alumni network for theinternationalisation process. We intendto strengthen the bonds with all ourformer students. In Western Europe we

have more physical access. Outside Europewell use modern technology to expandtheir networking opportunities. Rafferty is not afraid that internationalisationwill fundamentally change the Vlerickculture. here will be local adaptation,but we will stay strong in academiccontent, strong in our ability to put itinto practice and strong in our entrepre-neurial spirit. And lets not forget, therespect between academic and businessculture is still another one of ourstrengths.

EconomistRanked

EFMD

Table: Rankings

Economist 2008 Financial Times 2007

Belgium 1 1

Europe 7 16

Worldwide 14 98


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Renewed research drive strengthensinternational position

Te School is pursuing a policy focusing on innovative multidisciplinary, differentiated researchwith the aim of consolidating the position of businesses in the globalised economy. Tere is a needto attract new researchers, and Vlerick has plenty to offer them.


CornerstoneBesides management training, research isone of the cornerstones on which theSchool builds its work and reputation.Professor Leo Sleuwaegen, ResearchDirector, explains that Vlerick placesemphasis on multidisciplinary research by encouraging research centred on its threespearheads, Corporate Social Responsi-bility, Doing Business in Europe and

echnological Venturing. As a result of the Schools growth and its increasing

internationalisation, some fine-tuning isnecessary. o ensure that we continue tostand out from other business schools andto confirm our commitment andobligations to the business sector, werecently decided to begin delving deeperinto topics relating to our spearhead fieldsof research.

Multidisciplinary research groupshe strategic research topics are organised

in a multidisciplinary and transversal way,drawing on the expertise of several of theSchools competence centres. here is alsoa growing tendency to set up an academicChair for each topic. Professor Sleuwaegen: his is a logical consequence of markettrends. he problems encountered insociety in general and in businesses inparticular are increasingly complex.Within the School, it is rapidly becomingthe norm for research groups to developacross the competence centres. Additionalfunds have also been made available fortransversal research areas. Sleuwaegenagain: hirty per cent of the grant wereceive from the Flemish government has

been earmarked for research in thesefields. Any proposed academic researchproject on a relevant topic is also given


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Professor Leo Sleuwaegen: Te problems encounteredin the business world increasingly call formultidisciplinary research

preferential treatment. Needless to say,we are continuing to collaborate with ourparent universities, Ghent and Leuven,and with the international research net-works in which our researchers areinvolved. he School is deliberately aiming to make the composition of itsresearch groups more international. hisneed is reflected in the market, wherecompanies are also tending to adopt a moreinternational approach. Attracting inter-national researchers therefore has ourfull attention.

New international staff Professor Sleuwaegen feels that Vlerick isdefinitely an attractive proposition forinternational researchers. Our workranges from pure academic research toapplied research. he results are used in

the business world, leading to innovation,and we then build on these innovativeresults in our programmes. Accordingto Sleuwaegen, Vlerick research hasenormous added value. As an academicmanagement school, we act as the inter-face between academia and the businessworld. Our approach is more inductivethan deductive. Vlerick also has much tooffer at European level. Our roots are inEurope and we understand the context of this market very well. We are able to inter-pret the prospects for and in the Europeanbusiness sector. Sleuwaegen thinks thatyoung researchers, in particular, canbenefit from a win-win situation at Vlerick. hey can pursue an academiccareer within the Schools broad appliedresearch programme.

In addition to specific research assign-ments for European and other trans-national institutions, Vlerick is active in

many international research groups and isa founding member of important alliancessuch as the European Academy of Businessin Society (EABIS). he School is alsoinvolved in international opinion-formingresearch, for instance as the Belgianpartner in the Global EntrepreneurshipMonitor and the World CompetitivenessReport of the World Economic Forum.

Flemish roots Vlerick may be pursuing an internationalcourse even more vigorously than before,but this does not mean that it hasforgotten its Flemish roots. Weve done alot of policy research for the Flemishgovernment and are associated withFDC, Flanders District of Creativity,as a Knowledge Centre, points outSleuwaegen. his has resulted in reports

on the competitiveness and internationalposition of Flanders, for example.Sleuwaegen also feels that Vlerick has abroader responsibility. We have a strategy for social commitment. hanks to thecontacts we have in the public and privatesectors, we often act as a link in a chain.If the parties do not know or fully understand each others position, we canstep in and clarify the situation.

he local research groups, which benefitfrom the close involvement of theSchools foundation partners, are anotherimportant point in Vlericks favour.Supporting businesses is an integral partof our mission and its something we dovery successfully. We want to continuebuilding our research groups and lookingfor new international partners. By puttinginternational and local cooperation on aneven more professional footing, we canonly enhance the quality of what we do.Sleuwaegen concludes by saying:Internationalisation is not just a concept,but a tried-and-tested reality. I firmly believe that we can use our networks

over the next few years to internationaliseour research community even moresuccessfully.

Internationalisationis a tried-and-tested reality



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Professor Ann Vereecke, Faculty Dean:Te whole school should do its bit to attract new staff

As a result of expansion, Vlerick Leuven GentManagement School has recently been addingto its international team of talented teachingand research staff and is planning to step up

its recruitment drive over the next threeyears. Professor Ann Vereecke, the newFaculty Dean, is responsible for coordinatingand managing the process.

Capacity analysis Vlerick has always been careful when itcomes to investment in infrastructureand personnel. Nevertheless, investmentin more staff is a sound decision at this

point in time. Vereecke explains: heSchool has seen enormous growth in thepast few years in terms of turnover,range of programmes and student num-bers. For the staff this means more class-es, more courses, more projects and moreexams. Some people are also travellingto St Petersburg or Beijing on a moreregular basis. o prevent the risk of over-load, we have to be proactive. Severalnew professors have already joined theSchool this year, including some interna-tionally renowned names. he plan isto push ahead with the course weresteering and step up a gear.


Professor Ann Vereecke:the School's first

"Were looking for professionals witha PhD, having the classic threesome

in their portfolio: education,research and business."


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he international standard in the busi-ness school sector is about 180 teachinghours per year. Some of our lecturers domuch more than that at the moment,says Vereecke. Having a heavy teachingworkload doesnt do any harm in theshort term, she adds, putting it in per-spective. But we have to ensure thatpreparation and innovation dont sufferas a result. hats why we need to increasestaffing levels.

If the teaching overload continues for toolong, this inevitably means that lessattention and time is devoted to research. An undesirable side effect, according to Vereecke. he competition with otherschools is also about research output. Sothe highest quality is expected there, too.If the overload in teaching and research

activities persists, the limit is bound tobe reached at some point. Our aim is notsimply to maintain but also to improvethe quality of our research centres. Bothresearch and teaching are therefore key areas in our search for new people.

One of Vereeckes first tasks in her newpost was to carry out a capacity analysis.Initially, the focus will be on the nextthree years. International recruitmentswill be based on expertise and are notlinked to any specific campus. All thecompetence centres need people, primar-ily Finance, followed by Marketing andStrategy in second and third place.

Vlerick proleUnfortunately, people with the typicalprofile that Vlerick is seeking are not justsitting around waiting for a job to turnup. For a start, we re looking for profes-sionals with a PhD. hey should alsohave the classic threesome in their port-folio: education, research and business.

hey must be able to bridge the gapbetween education and the business

world. Entrepreneurial spirit and aninternational mindset are also essentialprerequisites. Vereecke is realistic,

however: What were looking for is noteasy to find and were not the only onesin the hunt its a real war for talent outthere. But do potential candidates actu-ally know that Vlerick is looking for pro-fessors? here are few jobs advertised onthe website, for instance. Vereeckelaughs: hats a perfect example of why my job is necessary! She feels it is anillusion to expect every candidate to haveall the requisite skills and expertise.Coaching and training are thereforeimportant to her. You mustnt be afraidto invest in the people you recruit. You must also have the courage to puttogether teams comprising senior and junior members. At the same time, Vereecke is also keen to provide trainingand support for current staff members.

Vlerick is looking for new professors theworld over. Vereecke: he academiccommunity has its own channels. Eachcompetence centre has its own associa-tions and all the major conferences havededicated job sites and provide privatefacilities for introductory meetings. Allmembers of staff are also expected todo their bit. Vlerick people are used totalking to colleagues in their field aboutresearch, but networking is also impor-tant. Vereecke sees it as her task to actas a facilitator: Im going to make sureall the necessary information is readily available right across the board. hewebsite will also be updated with asection for job candidates where they canfind socio-economic and tax informa-tion. Weve had guest professors foryears and the competence centres haveall accumulated a wealth of relevantinformation. Were now planning togather it all together into one convenientpackage.

AdvantagesWhy should an international PhD fellow

consider a move to Belgium? Vereecketicks off the advantages. First of all,were not a very big school, but we attract

high-quality staff and students. Wereone of a select group of business schoolswith triple accreditation. Anotheradvantage is our interaction with thereal-life business world. Last but notleast, Vereecke mentions the Schoolsgeographical location: Belgium is rightin the heart of Europe. Our campuses inGhent and Leuven are less than threehours from London, Paris and Frankfurt.

he country has a good industrial baseand the economy is doing well. Beijingand our campus in St Petersburg are alsocentrally located. In short, plenty of good reasons for international profes-sionals to join the Vlerick team. And theidea of a change in culture does not scare Vereecke: We can only learn from newviewpoints and new ideas.


Faculty Dean Why a Faculty Dean?Since 1 September Vlerick LeuvenGent Management School has had aFaculty Dean for the first time in itshistory. Professor Ann Vereecke hasbeen appointed to this new position,but is no stranger to the School.Ive worked here for 20 years and forthe past few years Ive been in chargeof the Operations & echnology Management Competence Centre andthe part-time MBA programmes.My management experience willcertainly stand me in good stead inmy new post. So what exactly doesthe Faculty Dean do? Vereecke: heres no detailed job descriptionas such, because this used to bepart of the Deans duties. he firstitem on the agenda is therefore towork out what the main priorities areand organise the job accordingly.

he prime reason for creating thispost is the need to ensure that the

staffing level is commensurate withthe growing number of programmesavailable and the requirements of our research centres.


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Kofi Annan Fellowswill benefit their own country

Te two Kof Annan Fellows or the 2008-2009 academic year have arrived. Both o them appreciate the pro essional culture here at Vlerick and the chances their Masterseducation will give them.

background. Vy Pham Mai Nguyen, whoworked in the Consumer Banking depart-ment o the Asia Commercial Bank in Vietnam, is doing a Masters in GeneralManagement. A ter Vlerick I hope tobecome a product manager in the banksCard department, as there is a growingcredit and debit card industry in Vietnam.

he Ugandan Ronnie Alinda held a posi-tion at the Central Bank o Uganda. My Masters in Financial Management willmake me one o the most highly quali ied

inancial people in Uganda. I would itinto any o the local or international

banks in Uganda, but Im planning toreturn to the Central Bank to try andcontribute to ormulating a rameworkthat would accelerate the growth o thewhole inancial sector.

Broad spectrumBoth Fellows plan to return to their owncountry and will there ore be countering atrend. Alinda: he brain drain rom

he Ko i Annan Business SchoolFoundation is a joint initiative with theHogeschool Utrecht and the Public AdviceInternational Foundation, explainsHaspeslagh. Promising students andyoung pro essionals rom developingcountries are selected to study or a busi-ness degree. hese students receive theireducation ree o charge, provided they return to their native land a terwards. he brain drain rom developing coun-tries is high, says the Dean. It is there-

ore a prerequisite or this ellowship thatthe students go back to their own coun-

try. As part o their curriculum, theFellows will also work on a project in theirhome country. Awareness o sustainabledevelopment is growing. Vlerick cannotand will not close its eyes to that, con-cludes Haspeslagh.

Financehis years students come rom Vietnam

and Uganda and both have a inancial


Dean welcomes special guests

Vy Nguyen (le t) and Ronnie Alinda (right) both receivedRonnie Alinda (right) both receiveda scholarship to cover their tuition ees and an additional5,000 to help with their living expenses. Dean PhilippeHaspeslagh was delighted to hand over a cheque to them. Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School is one o thepioneers in this ambitious project to provide potentialleaders in developing countries with top-class manage-ment education.

Dean Philippe Haspeslagh is very happy with thesemotivated young pro essionals who will be able to do alot or their country at some point in the uture. He

emphasises the Schools corporate social responsibility and the need to expose all students to the reality acingpoorer countries. He hopes their ellow students willextend the hand o riendship and welcome to our specialguests.

Uganda is high. Due to the biting poverty in Uganda, most graduates opt orblue-collar jobs in Europe and America,which pay much better. Vy explains thatthe situation in Vietnam is the same:Most highly educated people pre er towork in international business in Vietnamor elsewhere. he governments salary policy and working conditions do notentice highly quali ied people to work inthe public sector.

Vy and Alinda compared many businessschools but in the end chose Vlerick.

Why? Both mention the balance betweentheoretical and practical orientation.Vlerick educates and trains me or thereal inancial environment. It doesnt turnme into a walking inancial encyclopae-dia, explains Alinda. And Vy adds: Apart

rom the knowledge gained, my stay at Vlerick will develop my interpersonalskills, independence and ability to takeon responsibility. n


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Prof. Andr Thibeault answers 9 questions on the

financial crisisTe lack o transparency in some segments o the fnancial marketsand the complexity o underlying risk profles are the main causes o the fnancial crisis. Tat is the opinion o Andr Tibeault, pro essoro fnance and risk management at Vlerick. We spoke to him on theday ING received an injection o 10 million rom the Dutchgovernment. He is optimistic about the uture.

and, second, since the securities are notall bad, the investment made by thegovernment can return a good pro it inthe uture.

n ?

For the inancial services industry, thecasualties are now well known. he next

step is to try to mitigate as much aspossible the impact o the crisis on thereal sector o the economy. Most largecompanies can probably secure their accessto liquidity, but or some it might beproblematic, - GM, or example. However,it may get really serious or small andmedium-sized companies i theres notenough liquidity in the economy. he moveby the government to guarantee interbanktransactions tries to tackle this issue. Ingeneral, the crisis orces everybody toreconsider traditional business models andtranslate them into new ones.

n ?

From a pure capitalist business model, wewill see a more Keynesian approach. henew model will involve more interventionby di erent stakeholders and a greater

ocus on long-term strategies. his modelis already been taught at Vlerick.

n V V ?

he inancial crisis has thrown up many

questions. Vlerick delivers trainingprogrammes to the business community aswell as to the population in general. Its

n y y. C

y ? A

?Yes, its de initely a crisis. And yes, it couldhave been predicted. But actually its betterto have it now than two years down theline, when the consequences could have

been even more dramatic. In the bankingindustry, depending on their capital base,all banks will be a ected to some extentsooner or later.

n ?

Moral hazard is one o the main causes o the inancial crisis. In their race or highreturns, the banks started to get hungry

or risk and the quality o their port oliosdeteriorated. he lack o transparency inthe markets, the lack o knowledge aboutunderlying risk pro iles, the capacity o banks to re-package risks and, in the end,the inability o rating agencies to properly in orm investors have all led to the loss o con idence that prevails in the market.

n ?

hat was very sensible, in my view. Imcon ident that this will prevent a recur-rence o the situation that was seen in the1930s. he economy will slow down, o course, but we dont need to worry about

alling into a deep recession. In the end,

government intervention might be posi-tive or the taxpayers themselves. First,this is aimed at preventing a deep recession

important or those participating in theeconomic li e o the country to know aboutregulations, inancial processes and riskmanagement.

n y ?

Communication skills are very impor-tant. Pro essionals should know how to

communicate with clients and howto communicate with specialists. hey should understand the inancial productsthat inancial experts put together

or them.

n ?

No, taken in isolation its not. I believethat the emphasis should be on knowledgeo inancial processes and products. Youhave to learn how to recognise risks. henyou can recognise unethical behaviour.

n y ? y ?Actually, Im not so pessimistic. I can evensay that Im optimistic in the medium term.

he normal economic environment couldbe restored within 12 to 18 months andsince most o the inancial investments areo good quality, their value will increaseagain when con idence is restored.

Finance


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Focus on Russia

odays international corporations are becoming increasingly proactive in encouraginghigh potential employees to develop. Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School can play an important role in helping companies provide the right environment for this by establishing company-specic programmes. Te InBev programme Driving Leadership

alent for its corporate partner InBev CEE Zone is a prime example.

Driving Leadership Talent Programme

Merging western and easternEuropean insights

he programme is a joint effort with theCentral European University BusinessSchool, with the programme split into twomodules, one held at the Vlerick Ghentcampus, the other at the CEU BusinessSchool campus in Budapest. It has pre-sented an opportunity for the two schoolsto pool their knowledge and provide InBevCEE Zone with a strong, tailor-made

programme for young potentials.Pooling knowledgeFor InBev CEE Zone, working with thetwo business schools has had numerousadvantages. Jnos Bogdn, Director of People Continuity at InBev CEE Zone,describes InBev as a truly global company: here are a huge variety of cultures meld-ed into one unique corporate culture. odevelop leadership talent that can be suc-cessful in this global environment, weneed partners who are skilled in dealingwith this diversity. he combination of Vlerick with CEU Business School per-fectly meets InBevs demands. It allowsinsights into both western and easternEuropean cultures, explains Kristi Valentine, International BusinessDevelopment Manager at Vlerick LeuvenGent Management School. And, as bothschools were already working with thecompany, it enables Vlerick and CEUto pool their knowledge of InBev andits markets so as to tailor-make theprogramme. he cooperation with bothschools has been excellent, confirms

Bogdn. Vlericks relationship with CEU BusinessSchool is its first with an Eastern European

InBev is the worlds leading brewer employing almost 89,000 people worldwideand with sales in over 130 countries. InBev Central and Eastern Europe has itsheadquarters in Moscow and covers Russia, Ukraine, the Czech and Slovak Republics,Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia. he InBev CEE

partnership was Vlericks first outside Europe but is seen as a natural developmentfrom its existing relationship with InBev Belgium.

InBev Central and Eastern Europe

InBev CEE Zone sends 25 of its young high potentials to Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School


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Focus on Russia

business cases. An MBA is not an aca-demic course, says Korshunova. It has tobe practical. In the Driving Leadership

alent Programme, the practical sideinvolves active learning with input fromInBev, and support from the Vlerick and

CEU staff. It means that the programmesparticipants immediately get to apply theeconomic and management principlestheyve learnt and understand how InBevuses the principles in practice. And itenables the staff at both business schoolsto keep the teaching material pertinent.As a business school, we have to ensurethat the knowledge we impart can really be translated into practice, continuesKorshunova. he good partnerships wehave with companies prove our conceptswork. Vlerick greatly appreciates the role itspartnerships play in contributing to thequality of the programmes it offers. hekey to being a top-quality business school,says Korshunova is maintaining strongrelationships with companies. It keeps theSchool alive and vibrant. he collabora-tion between Vlerick and CEU BusinessSchool adds another level.

Bogdn. For Vlerick and CEU BusinessSchool its an opportunity to not only poolknowledge, but also build new ideas intotheir teaching materials. Some of oursenior managers were giving guestlectures and providing case studies on our

practices, explains Bogdn. he pro-gramme participants were then able towork on projects dealing with currentbusiness critical issues at InBev.

Strong relationshipsIt was these case studies that made theprogramme so relevant for its partici-pants. hey were the real test of howeffective the whole learning process was,says Findrik. Both schools felt the casestudies were an essential component of the course. Anastasia Korshunova,International Business DevelopmentOfficer at the Vlerick St Petersburgcampus helped foster the relationshipwith InBev CEE Zone when it firstapproached Vlerick with the idea of amini-MBA programme for its youngpotentials. Right from the start, it wasclear that the programme had to integrateconceptual business models with practical

School. Bogdn feels the collaboration of the two schools gives the programmesparticipants an exciting and inspiringinternational environment. Maria Findrik,Director of Executive EducationProgrammes and Professor of Economics

at CEU Business School agrees: he inter-national composition of the schools andthe programmes participants makes theprogramme unique. It truly provides asetting in which participants can learnto better understand each other andwork together. he two schools workedtogether closely to define the coursecurriculum and decide where eachcomponent would be given, exploitingeach others particular skills. heprogrammes teaching material bringstogether the best of each school andcovers the fundaments of generalmanagement, from strategic managementto people management, economics tofinance precisely those subjects up andcoming talent need in order to becomeeffective senior management in themid-term. Were convinced that this isone of the best ways of retaining ourtalent and keeping them motivated, says

Launched in September 2008 Location: Vlericks Ghent Campus CEU Business School, Budapest

Number of participants: 25 arget audience: young high potentials

Driving Leadership Talent Programme

he Central European University Business School (CEU) was establishedin 1988 and was the first educationalinstitution in the CEE region to trainmanagers by offering a western gradu-ate business programme leading to an American MBA. It currently has a totalof 350 students in six academic degreeprogrammes and over 450 executivedevelopment participants per year. Itspartnership with InBev CEE broughtabout the collaboration with Vlerick inthe InBev CEE Driving Leadership

alent Programme.

Central European UniversityBusiness School

Te Driving Leadership alent programme involves active learning.



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Focus on Russia

Developing high potentials Vlerick prepares future leaders for AGC Flat GlassWhen AGC dened its vision toinclude innovation, it meantinnovation in every area of thecompany and at all levels. Innovationwithin their management was no

exception and AGC Europe quickly recognised that its talentedmanagers would benet from aprogramme aimed specically atfacilitating the transition from beingan effi cient manager to being aneffective manager. Similarly, AGCFlat Glass in Russia realised that its

young high potentials needed aprogramme that would give them astrong grounding in business skillsand develop their personalleadership. Tis resulted incollaboration with Vlerick LeuvenGent Management School to providethe AGC-European University Programme for its talented managersin the European region, includingRussia, and the OptimisingManagement Potential Programmefor young high potentials from itsRussian branch.

leadership capabilities needed for fast andappropriate action within an internationalorganisation. It works on the assumptionthat people in middle management already have leadership experience and skills. heprogramme for AGC in Russia, however, isaimed at young high potentials who donot yet have a broad background in themanagement field or have not studiedmanagement.

Optimising management potential he collaboration with AGC Flat Glass inRussia stems from the relationship with AGC in Western Europe, says Kristi Valentine, Business Development Manager

Management toolbox Alexandre Segers, responsible for company-specific programmes at Vlerick LeuvenGent Management School, worked on thedevelopment of the management pro-gramme for Europe. he AGC EuropeanUniversity Programme has been set up toprepare talented AGC managers in theEuropean region, including Russia, forhigher positions, he explains. It equipsthem with a management toolbox todevelop and run their business activitieswhile considering the impact of theiractions on the AGC Group. In general, theprogramme aims at sharpening theirstrategic mindset and strengthens the

AGC Fl t Gl AGC Flat Glass is a world leader in glass manufacturing, producing glass for roofsand faades, interior design, car windscreens and sunroofs, solar panels, household andindustrial appliances, and displays. he companys European headquarters are inBrussels and it has some of its largest production plants in St Petersburg.

www.AGC-flatglass.com

Info

25 young high potentials at AGCs Russian branch ready to optimise their talent


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at Vlerick Leuven Gent ManagementSchool. hey were looking for a corporatepartner that would help them developtheir talent force. hey needed a pro-gramme that would teach the fundamen-tals of management along with leadershipstyles and skills. heir people are very well qualified, explains Valentine. hey have a highly technical mindset and areso skilled in their specialised field, butneeded to develop their skills in otherareas. As such the programme includesan individual coaching trajectory wherethe participants strengths and growthpotential are transformed into concreteaction plans for their further develop-ment. here are coaching sessions givenbetween modules and they have continualindividual support from a Vlerick coachand an internal AGC coach throughoutthe duration of the programme. Whats

more, the course curriculum includestopics such as leadership skills, team-building, professional communication,negotiation and conflict management,leading projects creatively and making astrategy work.

By providing the personal coachingelement, the course also acts as aninducement for employees to stay withthe company. Many organisations inRussia experience a relatively high turn-over of personnel and company-specific,personalised training is considered an

innovative concept that can help increaseloyalty. With this programme, AGC isshowing its willingness to invest in itspeople. It is looking to the future, findingpeople who want to grow with the com-pany and providing them with the meansto broaden their scope and venturebeyond the immediate boundaries of the job they were initially trained to do.

Building relationships As far as Vlerick is concerned, the pro-gramme is also a means of strengtheningits association with AGC. Being able tofurther our relationship in Russia hasreinforced the partnership and trustalready established in Western Europe,says Valentine. We dont want to justhave programmes, we want to build

relationships. Our aim is to be theeducational provider for organisations.When they come to us, we want to be ableto say yes, we can assess your organisa-tion, advise you and provide you with thesupport you need to make you more

effective, to make you more efficient andto make you a leader in your business unitor sector.

his is a prime example of a relationshipin equilibrium. Vlerick provides thelearning environment, AGC provides the

practical application. Working withcompanies helps our professors furthertheir research, says Valentine. It putstheir theories to the test and in this casehelps them identify any differencesbetween Russia and Western Europe andunderstand what those differences may be. It can create a learning experience forthe professors that can be reflected intheir lectures.

One Vlerick, one AGC Although the programme has beendeveloped purely for AGCs young Russiantalent, it partly takes place in Belgium.

his, in itself, provides a fantastic oppor-tunity for the participants to learn moreabout international management andteam skills in practice and, of course, tonetwork within the organisation. AGCheadquarters in Brussels acts as theirhost and guest speakers from the com-pany are involved in the programme,says Valentine. It enables the company tocreate a sense of unity. We always say were one Vlerick to the customer,whether youre in Ghent, Leuven or

St Petersburg, says Valentine. But in thisway AGC is also one company to us.



Focus on Russia

eambuilding at the Optimising Management Potential Programmes kick-off session

We dont want to just haveprogrammes, we want to

build relationships.

Through innovation and opera-tional excellence we will shape thefuture of glass and be recognisedas the European leader in providingthe community with innovativeand affordable solutions to improvepeoples everyday life(Executive Committee, AGC Flat

Glass Europe)

Optimising ManagementPotential Programme Launched in July 2008

(to be finalised in June 2009) Location: Vlericks St Petersburg

Campus Vlericks Ghent Campus Number of participants: 25 arget audience: young high

potentials


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Focus on Russia

Part-time MBA studentsin St Petersburg

Tis academic year, 40 part-time students will be following the MBA programme at the Vlerick campus in St Petersburg. What has made it so successful? We talk to threeparticipants, Sergey Sadovsky from PetroElectroSbyt, Philipp Libin from Arizona

Chemical, and Bonnie van der Velde from KS Media.

I moved to Russia from the Netherlandsin 1999 after graduating from theNetherlands Institute of ourism and

ransport Studies and set up my owncompany here, KS Media, in 2003. Rightfrom the start, Ive been responsible foraspects such as human resources, financesand sales, but I felt I needed to work more

effectively and faster. I realised an MBA would help me acquire the knowledge todo this but I wanted a business school in

St Petersburg offering a part-timeprogramme in English, taught by an inter-national team of professors. I liked theatmosphere at Vlerick and the decisionwas easy. he course is practical andimmediately applicable to my daily workso I can start focusing more on my companys strategy and give the very

talented people in my team moreoperational responsibilities.

he management responsibilities I havenow as financial director are quitedifferent to those Ive had in previouspositions. I felt I needed a morestrategic view and the MBA programmehas definitely given me that. In fact,its exceeded my expectations. Itsenabled me to systemise the knowledge

Id obtained in my previous work andstudy, giving me an under stan ding of how different topics are connected. Andits given me new insights into bothfamiliar and unfamiliar areas, partly because my fellow students were froma variety of sectors, so there was plenty of knowledge transfer. In the short

term, Ill be using my new skills toimprove business processes, but its alsoinspired me to become more involvedin project management starting frominitiation and following through toproduct launch.

Sergey Sadovsky: Enabling plenty of knowledge transfer

he Vlerick MBA programme has given memore than I had expected. Each programmemodule was given by a different professor,each with their own accent, own method of presenting and own exam tasks, so, inaddition to gaining a lot of new knowledge,I also got fantastic examples of communi-cating and presenting ideas to people.I learned a lot of jargon, acronyms, and

analysis methods common in businesstoday which means I now not only

understand the wording of our companysinternational management presentationsbut also the driving forces behind theirdecisions. Im really looking forward toapplying my new knowledge in my work I have several ideas from my projectwork that I would like to develop andimplement for my companys benefit.

Philipp Libin: Understanding the driving forces behind decisions

Bonnie van der Velde: Practical and immediately applicable to mydaily work


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Faculty staff

Sara: I studied industrial psychology atGhent University. wo years ago I wasdoing a work placement at Vlerick as partof my course. Later, when I heard therewas an opening for a researcher, I appliedimmediately and was offered the job. Imnow researching competence develop-ment and competence management forthe Centre for Work and Social Economy,under the supervision of Professor Ans De Vos. Why Vlerick? Because Vlerick is sogood at linking theory and practice, some-thing I missed at university.

Inge agrees with her: hats exactly why I chose Vlerick!

After I graduated I wanted to go on anddo a doctorate, continues Sara, but, atthe same time, I thought it was perhaps alittle too soon. I wanted to get a bit moreexperience under my belt first and work-ing as a researcher is the perfect solution.Perhaps Ill carry on studying later. hesubject? I dont know yet humanresources is certainly a field thats chang-ing all the time. Id rather wait and seewhich subjects are really topical when thetime comes.

I studied educational science at GhentUniversity, specialising in special educa-tion, says Kirby. After I graduatedI wanted to increase my knowledge andexpertise, without forgetting the humanaspects. hats why I decided to do aMasters in Human Resource Managementat the University of Antwerp ManagementSchool (UAMS). he course also broughtme into contact with Vlerick. I had

lectures from a few Vlerick professors andProfessor Dirk Buyens supervised my thesis. Working at Vlerick gives me the

A womans touch

Vlerick offers researchers plenty of opportunities

An interview? Great! Can you take a photo of us all together? Sara De Hauw, IngeDe Clippeleer and Kirby Van Laere are three young and infectiously enthusiasticnew members of staff in the Human Resource Management Competence Centre.We caught up with them in the InBev lounge at the Ghent campus.

chance to try out lots of different thingsand develop as a researcher. What amI doing at the moment? Under the super-vision of Professor Ans De Vos and Annelies Meganck, Im developing careermanagement tools, and Ill also be workingwith Professor Koen Dewettinck develop-ing performance management tools. Another one of my tasks is to coordinatethe middle management programme. My job is really hands-on and that suits me just fine. I see myself in a practical roleand Vlerick certainly offers enough oppor-

tunities on that front!

Inge: I studied educational science atGhent University, too, but specialised insocial welfare. In February I went to a job fair organised by the industrial psy-chology faculty. hat was us, laughsSara. hats right! continues Inge. I gottalking to someone called Katleen, whodid her doctorate at Vlerick. She was soenthusiastic. here happened to be a jobvacancy at the time, so I applied andstarted as a researcher in July. Imworking on the psychological contractunder the supervision of Professor Ans De Vos, and Ill also be doing research intoperformance management with ProfessorKoen Dewettinck. As a Vlerick researcher,you have the opportunity to work indifferent subject areas. his enables youto gain a deeper understanding of yourfield of study and find out which areasparticularly appeal to you. Its impressivewhat Ive been able to do here in just fourmonths. Future plans? Who knowsa doctorate isnt out of the question.

From top to bottom: Inge De Clippeleer, Kirby Van Laereand Sara De Hauw


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Floortje Blindenbach-Driessen, AssistantProfessor in innovation & entrepreneurship

I would like to place innovation management in abroader contextIn September Floortje Blindenbach-Driessen was appointed AssistantProfessor in the Innovation &Entrepreneurship knowledge domain.

After studying chemical engineering atDelft University of echnology, she thenworked for engineering contractors FluorDaniel for several years, first as an engi-neer and later as a consultant. Herexperience there sparked her interest ininnovation management. She decided tostudy this topic in greater depth and in2006 she obtained her PhD from ErasmusUniversity Rotterdam with her thesis onInnovation Management in Project-Based Firms. She then spent some timein the US, where she held successivepositions as Visiting Scholar at theR.H. Smith School of Business (University of Maryland) and Visiting AssistantProfessor at the George WashingtonUniversity School of Business.

At Fluor Daniel I was closely involved inall kinds of projects for which I facilitatedinnovation workshops, amongst otherthings. I found it frustrating that therewere so many great ideas, but often little

came of them. I wanted to see how thingscould be done better. While I was doingmy PhD research, it struck me that theinnovation management literature mainly

tended to focus on traditionally function-ally organised mass-production firms.he growing demand for services and

complex, integrated systems has led toother types of organisational structuresand production processes in many compa-nies, such as IBM, Boeing, ABB,CapGemini, etc. he central theme of my research is how these kinds of service-oriented, project-based organisationsshould set up and manage their innova-tion processes, specifically at both organi-sation and project level. How did I end upat Vlerick? he School just has such astrong reputation, plus I also met KarinWouters in Maryland. She did her PhDresearch at Vlerick and held a post-doctoral position in the Management& Organisation department of theR.H. Smith School of Business while I wasthere. When it was confirmed that I wouldbe moving to Belgium, she advised me toapply for a job at Vlerick. Within theInnovation & Entrepreneurship knowledge

More than 650 people signed up for theCreativity Class 2008 via the Jobat job

portal or the Flemish daily De Standaard.HR consultants Hudson eventually selectedthe 24 lucky finalists. Between 10 and13 September they took part in an inten-

sive four-day training course in entrepre-neurial creativity, including a competition,organised by Flanders DC and VlerickLeuven Gent Management School. Oratorgot the lowdown from Pascal Cools, GeneralManager of Flanders DC, and StijnDe Zutter, researcher in Vlericks Innovation& Entrepreneurship knowledge domain.Pascal Cools: he main task of FlandersDC is to promote entrepreneurial creativity.With the Creativity Class we can delvedeeper. We feel its important to have asteadily expanding pool of people whofirmly believe in the importance of innova-tion. hanks to the last three Creativity Classes, weve built up a hard core of ambas-sadors that we can regularly use as a sound-ing board in future.

Stijn De Zutter: he Creativity Class fits invery well with our Innovation &Entrepreneurship knowledge domain and isan excellent opportunity for our professorsto test new insights in practice. he partici-

pants included scientists, consultants,architects, lawyers, marketing people, etc. not your everyday mix of profiles. heCreativity Class shows that multidisci-

plinary teams work and that with theright group dynamics cognitive differ-ences can be overcome without any problem.

Pascal Cools: We want to stimulate entre-preneurial spirit. And thats just what wevedone. he competition element involveddeveloping a product or service to encour-age people to exercise more. he winningteam now wants to start a business basedon its Pronto-fit concept. Mission accom-plished, Id say!

And dont underestimate the fun factor of this initiative, adds Stijn De Zutter.Everyone had a great time!

o be continued!

Congratulations to the winners: ChristopheCop, Elke Van den Bergh, Jan Maeyens and Aline Ghijselings.

Eight teams of three people were given the task of working together to create a piece of artwork. Each teammember was handicapped in some way: sight (blindfoldput on), movement (hands tied) or speech (mouthcovered with a sticking plaster). Mr Seele then judged theresults and chose the most creative.

Innovation = Creativity + Entrepreneurship!

domain, I hope to be able to contributeto building our expertise in innovationmanagement. I find this field absolutely fascinating, both as a researcher and as alecturer. Im looking forward to placinginnovation management in a broadercontext.

Info

www.flandersdc.bewww.vlerick.be


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Diary

Programmes www.vlerick.be

Accounting & FinanceE M g g C p e

Pe m e Starts on 1 December 2008

E Me ge & A qStarts on 1 December 2008

N I z h ee beheeStarts on 2 December 2008

Entrepreneurship,Governance & StrategyN KMO Ch e ge

Starts on 9 February 2009Info: rees De Bock,tel. 32 9 210 98 23,[email protected]

N C mpe & Be eM gemeStarts on 20 February 2009

Info: Lien Vandenkerckhove,tel. + 32 9 210 97 97,[email protected]

General ManagementN M dd e M geme

P g mm 2009 2010Starts on 15 January 2009Info: Karen De Baets,tel. + 32 9 210 97 55,[email protected]

Management BehaviourN S e- - he- : p we

e de h pStarts on 3 December 2008Info: Kim Beeckmans,tel. + 32 9 210 97 52,[email protected]

Marketing & SalesN S eg he B e

B e M ke gStarts on 11 December 2008

N M ke g M geme ve - pe e

Starts on 12 February 2009

Operations &Technology ManagementN I k pm geme

Starts on 10 December 2008Info: essa De Vreese,tel. + 32 9 210 92 34,[email protected]

N ICT M gemeStarts on 9 February 2009Info: Gatane Beernaert,tel. + 32 9 210 98 22,[email protected]

E M geme & ICT F m

Starts on 19 February 2009Info: Gatane Beernaert,tel. + 32 9 210 98 22,[email protected]

Info: Lize Vanden Begin,tel. + 32 16 24 88 33,[email protected]

N Nederlandstalig programmaE Programme in English

For more informationabout the programmes:www.vlerick.be

Info: Katrien Schelstraete,tel. + 32 9 210 98 [email protected]

The road to grandmasteryhe series Grootmeester in (Grandmaster in) offers a fresh, informed view of various

aspects of contemporary management. he authors, all from Vlerick Leuven GentManagement School, separate fact from fiction for the reader. Written in Dutch, eachvolume illustrates the practical relevance of academic research. And each chapter endswith a number of useful tips so that you can set to work immediately.

Grootmeester in beslissen (Grandmaster in decision-making)Marc Buelens & Herman Van den Broeck, ISBN 978-90-774-3207-5

Grootmeester in teamwork (Grandmaster in teamwork)Herman Van den Broeck & Fannie Debussche, ISBN 978-90-774-3208-2

Grootmeester in communicatie (Grandmaster in communication)Karlien Vanderheyden & Veronique Warmoes, ISBN 978-90-774-3212-9

Grootmeester in management (Grandmaster in management)Marc Buelens & Annick Van Rossem, ISBN 978-90-77432-25-9

W de ? L k g he m ?

G www.v e k.be/g mee e


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he Schools founder, Professor Andr Vlerick, recognised the strategic impor-

tance of alumni, explains MartineDykmans, Vlerick Alumnis GeneralManager. Her colleague, Brand ManagerDominique Soetaert, adds: Vlerick was avisionary in his day. he word networkingdidnt even exist, but he was actually doing it. And Andr Vlericks vision isstill relevant today, 50 years on.

Alumni of universities and other institu-tions of higher education have a specialbond with their alma mater. Besides thebond created by studying together, otherkey factors at Vlerick are the extensiveprofessional network and the concept of lifelong learning, continues Dykmans.Our alumni are employed in manage-ment positions, have a multidisciplinary mindset and act as one anothers suppli-ers, clients or consultants. he word Vlerick is a calling card in the businessworld. Soetaert concurs with this view:Its a reliable indicator of quality thatenables you to make contacts moreeasily. As the number of internationalstudents grows, so too does the networkof international contacts.

he alumni association takes its taskseriously. Dykmans again: Were 100%

committed. We provide professionalser vices and have our own budget. Our

aim is to support our alumni in theirpersonal, professional and social develop-ment. Members have unlimited access toour online database and can check outreports on events that have taken place ormake use of our career services.

Soetaert adds: We have plans to expandour portfolio and offer more serviceswith an international dimension. Welldefinitely use technological tools such asblogs and e-learning. he aim is also toget the academic staff more closely involved in terms of input.

Chapters Vlerick alumni live and work in 100countries, but most are based in Belgium.Chapters, the local alumni networks thatorganise structured activities, arecurrently only to be found in Belgium,

China, France, Luxembourg, theNetherlands, Russia, Switzerland, theUnited Kingdom, the United States and


Alumni news

Vlerick Alumni broadeninginternational horizons

Te alumni association of Vlerick Leuven GentManagement School is celebrating its ftiethanniversary this year. Launched as a purely Flemishinitiative back in the 1950s, the organisation has beenpursuing a more international course for the past veyears. Over the next few years Vlerick Alumni will bestriving to increase the professionalism of itsinternational activities still further.

The word Vlerick is a callingcard in the business world

General Manager Martine Dykmans and Brand ManagerDominique Soetaert are responsible for ensuring t hatthe alumni association provides professional services.


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Alumni news


South Africa. Soetaert explains: Ourcritical mass in any given country is

30 alumni. Once weve reached that

figure, we open a chapter, which is thenrun by volunteers, usually expats. oensure continuity, we want to getnon-Belgian alumni more involved in theforeseeable future. Besides countrieswith chapters, there are many othercountries that organise ad hoc meetings.

he number of participants is some-times small, but the impact is usually

substantial, stresses Soetaert.International liaison ofcerEach and every graduate representsadded value for Vlerick, acting as anambassador for the School. And this isbecoming an increasingly importantfactor in recruiting new students andstaff. Dykmans: ogether with theSchool, were working on making thealumni association more professionaland more international. At the momentwere looking at the possibility of recruit-ing an international liaison officer.International experience and vision aremore important than nationality in thiscase. he skills and capabilities of Vlericks international alumni are also

Each and every graduateacts as an ambassador

for the School

receiving closer scrutiny. Finding outwho has what relevant information.

Eventually we also want to get our alumniinvolved in entrance exams abroad. Inthe meantime, of course, all the existingactivities will simply continue: he men-tor programme, career services, the inter-national newsletter and organised eventsworldwide. Well just be taking a moresystematic approach. And thats how thealumni and the School spread theirFlemish wings on the global stage!


Info

www.vlerickalumni.com

It will therefore be a great honour for us to hand over a cheque for 10,000 toSister Jeanne Devos on 2 December, during the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of Vlerick Alumni.

Every child is our child is the fundamental message that Sister Jeanne keepsrepeating. he Fund for Childrens Rights therefore aims to raise funds to enable herto work in India, helping children who have escaped from an abusive situation by providingthem with education and support.

Jo today th yo r d v d a g ft!Help give traumatised children a better future by making a donation to K.U.Leuven bankaccount no. 734-0194177-89 mentioning gift 400/0002/13136 (tax certificate issued fordonations of 30 or more).

For further information, visit http://www.kuleuven.be/jeannedevosfonds

Continuing the practice adopted in recent years, we have once again decidednot to send seasonal greetings cards to our business contacts, but insteaddonate the earmarked budget to a good cause. Our intention is always to choosea charity that is directly involved in providing support and education forless-privileged children and young people.

Specially for the Fund, Flemish artist Koen Vanmechelen has designed the giantCosmogolem gure, which symbolises the helper, the intermediary between man

and healing. For the children, it serves as a protector who holds their dreams of ahappy future in safekeeping. For the School and its alumni, it wil l be the embodiment

of a long-lasting collaboration with Sister Jeanne Devos.

Vlerick Leuven Gent Management Schooland Vlerick Alumni supportSister Jeanne Devos Fund for Childrens Rights


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