14/03/2023
As the world rapidly changes, we must keep up with the times and shift alongside it. IE University has faced this challenge head-on with the launch of its new school, IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs. This rebrand and redesign aims to train global change-makers who are prepared to tackle the challenges of tomorrow.
Persian scholar Rumi once said, “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today, I am wise, so I am changing myself.” IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs looked within to bring about this type of effective change, relaunching their approach in a full-house event titled, A New World (Dis)order.
Reflecting on the uncertainty of the exponentially changing world around us, the school’s dean, Manuel Muñiz, reiterated that universities must educate individuals with a global mindset. It is precisely this way of thinking that has led to the rebranding of the IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs. By looking inward, the previous IE School of Global and Public Affairs understood it was time for a change in order to better equip its students with an interdisciplinary approach in order to deal with the challenges of the rapidly evolving environment.
To mark the launch of the new name and approach, Manuel Muñiz was joined by a host of prestigious speakers including vice-president of the European Commission, Josep Borrell; former president of the UN General Assembly and minister of Foreign Affairs of Argentina, Susana Malcorra; Nobel Peace Prize laureate and professor, Jody Williams; chair of the Local Governance Forum, Augusto Lopez-Claros; and former president of the United Nations General Assembly, María Fernanda Espinosa.
The panel and keynote speakers discussed a broad range of issues which the school’s transformation will seek to grapple with moving forward.
Educational institutions must increasingly provide their students with the skills necessary to navigate the current climate of uncertainty and volatility.
In his speech, Josep Borrell explained, “The future of our climate will be determined by the poorest people in the world. The way they develop to become less poor will determine our future.” The scope of challenges such as these will inevitably require the world to come together if we are to be successful in tackling them.
As Jodie Williams stated, “Normal human beings are worried about climate change. They’re alarmed about the disparity of wealth. I’m very concerned that a handful of multi-billionaires control more resources than most of the world.”
There is no escaping the fact that globalization has meant addressing issues on a localized level has become a largely futile policy.
IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs’ mission is to train the next generation of global leaders. In doing so, it must empower its pupils to solve real-world problems, well aware that outcomes are increasingly interconnected and often require a multi-disciplinary approach. As Susana Malcorra explained, “We need to commit to solutions that go beyond the local, the national and the regional; otherwise, we will not be prepared for what is coming our way soon.”
Something which has come our way perhaps sooner than expected, of course, is the war in Ukraine. Conflict has broken out on European soil for the first time since the Second World War. As Josep Borrell observes, “The price of energy is the price of freedom.” It is within this unstable international context that IE University must educate individuals who will become the facilitators of change in our shared future, a role that will undoubtedly require a varied and finely-tuned set of skills.
The school’s programs are designed with this in mind. There is significant emphasis placed on practical elements, combining lectures with case exploration, workshops and capstone projects. This, coupled with our key partnerships with international organizations, ensures IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs graduates will step out into the world having gained a holistic education.
The goal is to provide students with expertly informed insights into the discourse likely to steer the policy-making of tomorrow, alongside the practical expertise to alter its course for the better.
Entrepreneurship, innovation and disruptive, hands-on learning lie at the heart of the IE University experience. However, if there is one value that came through loud and clear at the new IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs launch event, it is that of collaboration. Above all else, our students will learn according to a principle expressed succinctly by Manuel Muñiz: “So much of a life well lived is about working with and for others.”
