Sorbonne Course Cultivates Graduate Community of Learners

A unique management training program for Mandel graduates at the Sorbonne University which took place in July 2008 has been deemed by a great success by participants, both academically, and in terms of community development. 

Lectures by IAE Professors

The training program, attended by a group of 21 Mandel graduates, was run by the internationally renowned Institut d'Administration des Affaires (IAE), the business school of the Sorbonne University of Paris.  It focused on the management of educational and social institutions in the context of globalization and privatization.

Using contemporary notions of institutional organization, the program aimed to provide participants with the knowledge and skills to formulate an informed perspective regarding educational and social policies, and to introduce alternative policy models into public discourse and practice.

“The program was very successful in terms of content. I not only learned new concepts but was able to re-structure existing knowledge, while giving a social, cultural and international context to material learned. This was very valuable”, said Ronen Goffer, founder and director of a not-for-profit organization, upon his return from France.

The group discusses privitization

Borrowing from the French historical experience of integrating both state-run and privately-run health, welfare and education bodies, Mandel graduates were taught an academic and practical perception of reality which they are able to apply to their professional context. “In Israel we are very exposed to the American model which promotes privatization in the public sector. Sometimes it seems that a critical view and a global perspective are lacking,” said group participant Efrat Rozenberg-Shapira.

“The French attitude that was presented to us during the course showed us that non-dichotomous thinking does exist. We learned how the French health and education systems cope with privatization processes, without policy-makers automatically flowing with the current of privatization. We learned that significant processes such as privatization demand more creative and complex thinking,” said Rozenberg-Shapira.

Beyond the academic aspect, it seems that one of the achievements of the trip was a cultivation of the Mandel graduate community. The graduates constituted a diverse group; a combination of Jews and Arabs, men and women, religious and secular, school principals, CEOs of non profit organizations, teachers and inspectors. There were graduates from the first cohort to the most recent, spanning 13 years of the Mandel School for Educational Leadership. Nonetheless, this didn’t seem to affect their social cohesion.
“The communal experience was encouraging,” said one graduate. “The ability to leave the experience of daily activity and take time out for study, shared thinking and reflection allowed people to be available to a community; available to listen, to learn, and to network. We found that we had a common Mandel discourse of common concepts, culture and organizational culture, and much appreciation for each others’ activity.”

Goffer describes the connections made between group members as, “an integral part of the learning process.”
“There were great group dynamics; the group was very serious about making the most of the course. People opened up and shared their insights and experience – this formed a vibrant energy and an excellent networking opportunity,” he said.

The Mandel Graduates

Dr. Salait Ron, another participant, describes “…an openness and willingness for joint study and a connection that will continue to accompany us in the future. In my eyes, it was the beginning of a process.” She smiles and continues, “It was great fun discovering that even if we finished our studies at Mandel ten years ago, Mandel is still home.”