Minerva University launches World Wise Executive Leadership Program in Tokyo
New initiative prepares global executives to navigate complexity, lead across borders, and drive impact
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Minerva University, with major support from the Nippon Foundation, today announced the launch of its World Wise Executive Leadership Development Program, a new initiative designed to prepare global leaders to navigate complexity and drive impact through an immersive, cross-cultural learning experience.
The World Wise Program introduces a new offering within Minerva's curriculum for mid-to senior-level professionals across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, focused on strengthening leadership skills, cultural intelligence, and measurable organizational impact.
"At both the graduate and undergraduate levels, Minerva has developed leaders from more than 100 countries who thrive in complex, rapidly changing, global environments," said President Mike Magee. "This expansion into executive leadership programs builds on our mission to develop globally adaptive, ethically grounded leaders at pivotal career moments."
Over six months, participants, known as "World Wise Executives," will participate in weekly classes where they will learn to lead teams across borders, develop adaptive communication techniques, and make high-stakes decisions in interdependent systems. The program blends online coursework, in-person components, and ongoing community engagement, including a kickoff in Tokyo, modular executive courses, and, following the completion of the courses, a one-week immersive in-person World Wise Leadership Accelerator. An optional Professional English Discussion Bootcamp will be offered prior to the program start.
"In Japan, developing leaders who can address complex challenges across sectors and organizational boundaries is increasingly important. Minerva University's practice-based, dialogue-driven approach offers valuable insights for developing the next generation of leaders in Japan and across Asia," said Jumpei Sasakawa, President of the Nippon Foundation.
Designed for a volatile and interconnected world, the initiative equips leaders to lead responsibly across borders. Organized around a regional cohort model, the program deepens cultural intelligence and peer learning.
Applications are now open at https://www.minerva.edu/apply/, with the inaugural East Asia pilot cohort beginning in June 2026 and additional regions to follow.
About Minerva University
Minerva University is redefining global higher education through a bold, outcomes-focused model designed to empower the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and changemakers. Headquartered in San Francisco and operating across four continents, Minerva offers an intensive undergraduate experience that combines rigorous academics, real-world engagement, and a global rotation that immerses students in diverse cultural and professional contexts.
Minerva's interdisciplinary curriculum emphasizes critical thinking, creative problem solving, effective communication, and global collaboration. Through fully active, discussion-based seminars and applied learning projects in major cities around the world, students develop the habits of mind and practical skills needed to address the most pressing challenges of our time.
The university has built a vibrant, international student body representing over 100 nations, and graduates have gone on to launch high-impact startups, lead civic initiatives, earn Rhodes, Schwarzman, and Knight-Hennessy scholarships, and pursue graduate study at institutions such as Oxford, Harvard, and Stanford.
Minerva also offers a graduate program focused on equipping working professionals with the tools to drive innovation and impact in their fields.
Ranked the #1 Most Innovative University for four consecutive years by the World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI), Minerva is pioneering a scalable, equitable, and transformative model of higher education for the 21st century.
About The Nippon Foundation:
Share the Pain. Share the Hope. Share the Future.
Founded in 1962, The Nippon Foundation is one of Japan's largest philanthropic organizations. Its activities are funded primarily through allocations from revenues generated by Japan's public boat racing system, a government-regulated framework established for public benefit.
Working across borders, cultures, and sectors, the Foundation supports a broad range of initiatives—including programs for children, persons with disabilities, disaster response, ocean-related issues, and humanitarian assistance—both in Japan and globally, with the aim of addressing social challenges and shaping a more inclusive future.
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