Dean Lei Lei announces lifelong learning initiative for alumni

Rutgers Business School is offering lifelong learning opportunities to its alumni, beginning with a series of free lunch and learn webinars and discounted admission to a wide array of executive education programs. 

Lei Lei, the dean of Rutgers Business School, has championed the lifelong learning initiative as a way of enriching and engaging alumni. Rutgers Business School has a global alumni network of more than 43,000 graduates.

“As our alumni family seek opportunities to keep their skills current and learn throughout their lives, we want them to see Rutgers Business School as their educational partner,” Lei said.

In higher education, lifelong learning continues to gain traction as working professionals and business leaders, alike, realize the growing need and demand for knowledge.

“The need to stay relevant and learn throughout one’s life grows every day because of the pace of change,” said Peter Methot, executive director of Rutgers Business School’s Executive Education.

Technology continues to drive much of that change, disrupting industries and careers, and requiring skills and capabilities that many workers don’t yet have. “As a well-regarded business school,” Methot said, “we want to offer relevant knowledge that helps our stakeholders be the best version of themselves.”

A webinar on the business implications of artificial intelligence kicked off the lunch and learn series on Wednesday, Feb. 13. Several hundred people connected over the lunch hour to learn more about one of the hottest topics impacting the workforce today.

Virtual lunch and learn topics have included Putting your Digital Profile to Work: 10 Best Practices for Personal Branding and Artificial Intelligence and the Evolving Business Landscape [see list of all past Lifelong Learning webinars].

Each virtual Lunch and Learn session will take place in the middle of the month, middle of the week (Wednesdays) and in the middle of the day – noon to 1 p.m.  The Lunch and Learn sessions are free to current students, Rutgers Business School alumni, as well as friends and family members of alumni [see future virtual lunch and learn topics].

Krunal Bhakta, an alumnus of the Rutgers Full Time MBA program, said he was excited about and grateful for Rutgers Business School’s free one-hour long Virtual Lunch and Learn series.

“We often believe we can’t afford the time it takes, but the opposite is true,” Bhakta said. “None of us can afford not to learn. It’s a necessity.”

“By working less and learning more, I might seem to get less done in a day,” he said, “but I get dramatically more done in my year and in my career,” he said.

As part of the Lifelong Learning initiative, alumni will also be able to access all open enrollment programs offered by Rutgers Business School Executive Education at a 50 percent discount. There is a one class per year limit and enrollment is based on seat availability – both in class and online.

To enroll in executive education open enrollment programs, alumni will be required to prove their eligibility with either a picture or a scan of their diploma. The eligibility can also be proved by completing a verification from the Rutgers University registrar.

Find out more about lifelong learning opportunities powered by Rutgers Business School Executive Education.