A Manifesto for higher education

I just launched the new edition of the Core MBA.

Below is the manifesto which contains the points I believe are necessary for an education fully aligned with the needs of the students.

No bullshit

The course program should not be based on what the teacher knows, but on what the student should know.

The course program should not be based on what is easy to teach, but on what it’s important to learn.

No certification

Certifications and degrees lead to phenomena such as classes populated by uninterested students, lectures attended only to comply with attendance rules and choices of course topics based on how easy they are to measure on a test.
Therefore, no certification should be provided: the result will be that only interested students will attend the courses, and that they will be motivated to learn as much as possible.

Face to face

Education is not (only) about transferring information, but about changing behavior. While the former can be done equally well through online courses, the latter is more effectively performed during face-to-face courses.

No fixed costs

If a school has fixed costs, such as classrooms, offices and employees, it might be tempted to spread them over a longer time period by increasing the duration of the courses.
Renting classrooms only for the duration of the courses is more efficient.

Focus on action, not information

What counts is what the student will do once the course ends. Only providing him with information is not enough, if he won’t use it. The teacher should make sure that his students will put into practice the taught behaviors, by directly addressing the emotional barriers to their application and by ensuring that they are simple enough to be remembered.

Affordable price

Prices should be set fairly. Profits can be made, but they should correspond to higher educational value, not to more sophisticated brands or more exclusive locations.