Be part of the inaugural World Wise cohort.
The inaugural World Wise cohort offers a rare opportunity to join a new Minerva executive program from the very beginning.
Pilot cohort focus: The inaugural cohort will be based in Asia, with future cohorts expanding to additional regions.
Program design: Cohorts are built regionally to enable deeper, context-specific leadership development. Participants engage with leaders from other regions through in-person accelerators and, ongoing global community experiences.
Thanks to significant sponsorship from the Nippon Foundation, participants in the inaugural cohort will receive a deeply discounted tuition rate compared to future offerings. This support allows early participants to access a world-class executive leadership experience while helping shape the future of the program.
Who This Program Is For
World Wise is ideal for professionals who want to expand their leadership impact in global or cross-cultural contexts.
This program is a strong fit if you:
- Are preparing for international or cross-cultural leadership roles
- Lead or collaborate with global, hybrid, or multicultural teams
- Want to build cultural fluency, not just global exposure
- Are seeking practical leadership tools you can apply immediately
- Want to stand out in global, competitive industries
Typical participants include:
- Managers and senior managers pursuing global roles
- Directors preparing for expanded international responsibility
- Team leads managing distributed or multicultural teams
- High-potential professionals identified for leadership growth
- Professionals transitioning into globally oriented sectors
World Wise is particularly well suited for professionals operating in markets, where leadership effectiveness depends on navigating cultural nuance, hierarchy, communication styles,
and cross-border collaboration.
Cultural fluency–taught explicitly
Every session is interactive and discussion-based. You will:
- How leadership expectations and work processes can vary by region
- How culture influences communication, trust, and decision-making
- How to adapt your leadership style to different contexts
The program combines general leadership frameworks with region-specific nuance, so you can lead effectively—not generically.
Active learning–no lectures ever
Many leadership programs bring together people from different countries, but don’t explicitly teach how to lead across cultures.
World Wise is designed specifically to build cultural leadership capability. You’ll learn:
- Analyze real leadership challenges
- Practice leadership behaviors with peers
- Apply tools during live sessions–not after the fact
This ensures what you learn transfers directly to your day-to-day work.
A global experience, built intentionally
World Wise integrates:
- Live virtual seminars with a regional cohort and in-person international engagement
- In-person leadership accelerators in international cities
- Real-world simulations and applied leadership challenges
- Expert faculty with deep global leadership experience
You don’t just study global leadership—you practice it.
Program Curriculum
Program Schedule
Course/Event
Dates
Session Times
Session Number
English Language Bootcamp
June 6th to 25th
TBD
(9 PM - 12 PM JST or
7 PM - 10 PM JST)
Sessions 1 to 4
In-Person Tokyo Kick-off with workshops
July 4th to 5th
TBD
Course 1: World Wise Executive Leadership
July 11
TBD
(9 PM - 12 PM JST or
7 PM - 10 PM JST)
Sessions 1 and 2
July 14th to 25th
Tuesdays
9 PM - 10:30 PM JST
Sessions 3 to 9
Course 2: Leadership in Complexity: Modern Tools for Problem Solving and Decision Making
September 5th
TBD
(9 PM - 12 PM JST or
7 PM - 10 PM JST)
Sessions 1 and 2
September 8th to November 10th
Tuesdays
9 PM - 10:30 PM JST
Sessions 3 to 12
Course 3: Communication for Leading High-Performing Global Teams
November 21st
TBD
(9 PM - 12 PM JST or
7 PM - 10 PM JST)
Sessions 1 and 2
November 24th to December 22nd
Tuesdays
9 PM - 10:30 PM JST
Sessions 3 to 7
In-Person Accelerator Program
Mar 6th to 14th
TBD
World Wise Leadership Accelerator
In-person immersion (7-10 days required accelerator)
Locations include: San Francisco, Berlin, Seoul, Hyderabad, London
This is where your cultural fluency becomes real.
*Dependent on location
During the accelerator, you will:
- Participate in region-specific intercultural workshops
- Lead a design sprint with Minerva undergraduates*
- Work on a real-world consulting challenge
- Engage with senior leaders and innovators
- Reflect on your leadership practice in global contexts
Join a lifelong global leadership community
Quarterly virtual leadership workshops
A global alumni community platform
The annual World Wise Leadership Summit (starting in 2028)
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to join the inaugural cohort?
Take the next step in your leadership journey and be part of the founding World Wise cohort at a significantly reduced tuition rate, made possible through the Nippon Foundation sponsorship.
Contact us through the form below.