PART 2
Becoming a virtual centre 2020 will go down in history as a year of incredible disruption, change and uncertainty. We have all been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and what to many people seemed to be unimaginable a few years ago became a reality. This unprecedented pandemic has highlighted global risks that have long been ignored. What started as a health crisis quickly morphed into an economic and social crisis. Geopolitical tensions have risen and continue to rise across the globe. In parallel, we continue to live under the ever-darkening cloud of the climate crisis. The situation we currently find ourselves in has major implications for international peace and security. In response to this pandemic, over the last year the GCSP has carved out a roadmap for itself that has allowed it to survive, revive, thrive and become a high-functioning virtual centre.
Survive When COVID-19 hit, the GCSP had to quickly transform its operating and delivery models. We succeeded in moving our two advanced courses (LISC and ESC) online within 24 hours. We quickly realised that working and learning virtually would become long-lasting features of our work. Subsequently, the impact on executive education would be significant. We were called on to develop a new virtual delivery strategy that extends beyond simply converting our courses to fully shifting our virtual strategy from survival mode to one that has allowed us to thrive. As we adjusted to this new way of working remotely while being confined at home, the GCSP leadership offered GCSP staff a “just-intime” bootcamp programme that equipped them with the best practices for how people connect, communicate, interact and work, which are crucial elements in understanding how executives learn. This also offered the opportunity to course directors to experience the various digital elements of the courses they lead as participants, which turned out to be a highly enriching and illuminating experience.
Transformative Journeys to Create a Safer World | 2020 Annual Report | 9
