The Flex Factor in Executive Learning

• Flexible EMBA programs allow schools to attract a wide range of participants, experiment with new technologies, meet sustainability goals, and stay competitive.
• To ensure such programs are successful, schools must train faculty in how to use new technology and how to create community in mixed online and in-person environments.
• INSEAD’s new Global EMBA Flex program accommodates busy executives by offering in-person, live virtual, and asynchronous modules across three campuses.

 
For business leaders stretched thin by the demands of a chaotic world, time is a precious resource. Managers often find it challenging to justify taking time away from their more immediate responsibilities in order to focus on their personal development and career progression. This means fewer executives are drawn to traditional executive education models that require significant time on campus and frequent travel.

Instead, when today’s managers seek business education, they prioritize convenience. While some will choose programs that are geographically close, many others will look for flexible formats that allow them to pursue lifelong learning easily and efficiently.

Flexible executive programs are attractive to managers for three main reasons. One, when participants can alternate between consuming asynchronous content and attending live virtual sessions, they can carry out their work responsibilities without compromising the depth of their learning. Two, when they are no longer restricted by geography or rigid schedules, they can engage in world-class programs from anywhere. And three, when they can study at their own pace, they can achieve better work-life balance and improve their learning outcomes. Therefore, business schools that want to attract busy senior executives will find that offering flexible formats is no longer optional; it’s essential.

To meet this new demand, INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France, has designed a Global Executive MBA Flex (GEMBA Flex) program, which will launch in May 2026. The GEMBA Flex curriculum mirrors that of INSEAD’s traditional GEMBA, but it requires less mandatory time away from the office. This makes it a more realistic option for prospective participants who are concerned about spending extended time away from work.

As we designed our new program, we learned a great deal about the challenges and opportunities that hybrid executive education programs offer, and I share these insights here.

Institutional Advantages

While flexible programs are advantageous for executives, they also provide numerous benefits to institutions:

• They allow schools to expand their reach and attract participants from diverse industries and regions who otherwise might not consider pursuing executive degrees.
• They can align with a school’s goals of attracting a broad cross-section of participants.
• They allow schools to experiment with digital and hybrid learning technologies.
• Because they reduce the need for frequent travel, these programs enable schools to lower their carbon footprints, meet sustainability goals, and demonstrate environmental responsibility. Reduced travel also means program costs are lower for participants.
• They allow schools to stay ahead in a competitive environment where innovation in education delivery is required. Digital natives expect programs to offer online educational options, and remote workers have become accustomed to virtual interactions. As a result, schools that can deliver hybrid learning formats will enhance their appeal and elevate their reputations.

Obstacles to Overcome

Despite their advantages, flexible programs also present institutions with challenges in four key areas:

Adapting to new technology. Because online education is driven by technological innovation, it requires schools to invest in cutting-edge technology and train faculty in how to use it.

Maintaining a balance. As with all remote offerings, flex programs require schools to walk the line between offering adaptability and maintaining a high standard of teaching. If schools are to deliver a consistent educational experience across formats—whether in-person, live virtual, or asynchronous—they must make significant investments in faculty development and curriculum design, not just technology.

It’s important for schools to design intentional touchpoints that build connections among participants whether they’re meeting online or in person.

Ensuring faculty are prepared. Instructors will need to adapt their teaching styles to accommodate the different needs of in-person and remote learners—particularly to ensure that remote learners feel as included as those who are physically present. Faculty will be more successful if they have the time and willingness to experiment with new techniques and if their schools provide training sessions where they can become more comfortable teaching in hybrid learning environments.

Fostering community. Networking and peer learning are central to executive education, but these elements can be harder to replicate in hybrid or online settings. It’s important for schools to design intentional touchpoints—such as on-campus modules or collaborative projects—that build connections among participants whether they’re meeting online or in person.

A Flexible Design

At INSEAD, we have created our new GEMBA Flex program to capitalize on the advantages and minimize the disadvantages of flexible programming.

To accommodate busy executives who cannot commit to being on campus for an entire program, we will allow them to attend a combination of modules that are offered in person and online, with virtual programming being provided both live and asynchronously. Participants will specify whether they will be attending in-person classes at our campuses in France, Abu Dhabi, or Singapore.

So that we can provide participants with a seamless learning experience, we will ask them to provide advance notice of their preferences for online and on-campus learning. They will need to provide this information by defined cutoff dates so faculty can effectively prepare their modules.

To provide students with an optimal balance of flexibility and structure, we will allow them one opportunity to switch between online and in-person attendance at their chosen campuses during the first year, even after the cutoff date for a particular module has passed.

In addition, they will be able to dip into the in-person sessions across all three campuses while still maintaining their core cohorts. We are still working out the details of how often they will be able to make these visits and how far in advance they will have to notify the school. But our goal is to enable students to benefit from diverse perspectives and form valuable relationships with a broader set of colleagues from different locations.

To make it possible for the school to track students’ participation across campuses and modules, INSEAD is collaborating with its digital team to develop a robust platform that will provide efficient and effective support.

A Focus on Community

In addition to structuring the program so that participants have maximum flexibility, we are taking three steps to create an inclusive and interactive environment for both on-campus and online learners.

We are equipping faculty with the tools and training they need. We are drawing heavily on lessons we learned during the COVID-19 lockdowns to ensure our faculty can deliver engaging content across different formats. As we experimented with online education during the pandemic, we refined our delivery methods and integrated them into our programs. Today, the faculty members who piloted our online and blended executive education programs share with colleagues the insights and best practices they gained during the COVID pandemic. This has fostered a collaborative approach to innovations in teaching.

At the same time, an instructional design team is working closely with faculty to curate tailored training programs that help teachers effectively leverage technology and enhance their delivery.

Five on-site experiences enable participants to collaborate on projects and deepen relationships through team-building activities.

We are incorporating in-person modules into the program. During these five on-site experiences, participants can collaborate on projects and deepen relationships. In Module 1, where GEMBA Flex participants come together in person, we prioritize team-building activities. We also emphasize networking and collaboration during various team-based projects, some of which are held in person and some of which are coordinated virtually.

We are exploring innovative ways to build community. To foster deeper connections within the cohort, we are working closely with the Student Life team, which oversees the four pillars of international student mobility, student well-being and health, community, and events. The community pillar aims to enhance students’ sense of belonging through clubs, social events, and partner programs, and this is the area we are focusing on with the GEMBA program.

A Glimpse of the Future

In the coming years, advances in technology will provide schools with even more intriguing possibilities for flexible learning. For instance, virtual reality and augmented reality are poised to create immersive environments that bridge the gap between physical and online classrooms. In these digital spaces, participants will be able to interact in real time, collaborate on group projects, and network regardless of their geographical location.

Artificial intelligence is another area of potential growth. AI-driven platforms can personalize learning experiences, adapting content to individual progress and providing real-time feedback. These tools can enhance engagement and provide students with tailored support regardless of their learning mode.

But for now, flexibility is one of the most important aspects of business education, especially as time remains one of the scarcest resources for today’s leaders. By delivering education in a hybrid environment that accommodates learners, institutions can make certain that they stay relevant, even in an era of constant change. As schools pioneer flexible programming, they open up endless possibilities for providing innovative education with lasting impact.