Business Innovation Summit

Get fresh perspectives and insights into the actionable approaches needed to build back smarter after inflation. Be inspired to transform your organisation while delivering profits.

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Business Innovation Summit

Get fresh perspectives and insights into the actionable approaches needed to build back smarter after inflation. Be inspired to transform your organisation while delivering profits.

Get Offer
No thanks
X
Business Innovation Summit
Featured partner:
Business Innovation Summit
Business Innovation Summit

Get fresh perspectives and insights into the actionable approaches needed to build back smarter after inflation. Be inspired to transform your organisation while delivering profits.

Get Offer
No thanks
X

Executive education

Modern leaders. Future skills.

Stay competitive in the workplace with practical, online courses for ambitious professionals.

Gain clarity and insights from experts at The Economist.

Why choose our courses?

Developed for professionals

Our courses are practical, concise and ready to be applied to your business context. Be confident that you are investing time in learning that is focused and relevant.

Created by experts

Editors from The Economist contribute specialist knowledge, with additional perspectives from world-renowned experts and thought leaders.

Flexible, guided learning

Self-paced modules led by experienced tutors are released weekly. Interactive forums enable networking and collaboration with peers across time zones.

Independent and data-driven

The Economist is regarded as one of the world’s most trusted sources of information, analysis and insight. Benefit from a balanced, future-focused worldview—now in educational form.

91%

Course completion rate

5,000+

Enrolled participants

Map of countries featuring Economist Education students

Participants from 100+ countries

Be inspired by an international set of peers who share local insights into business and global developments.

Our courses

Discover our portfolio of skills-and-insights courses; a trusted guide for resilience and success in a changing world and workplace.

NEW COURSE

Understanding and applying AI in business

Learn how to harness the power of AI effectively. This online course demystifies large language models, equipping you with practical tools to stay competitive at work.

Duration Two weeks|
Location Online|
Commitment 5-6 hours per week|
Start date September 30th 2024|
Price £650|
MOST POPULAR

Business writing and storytelling

The course explores the psychology, craft and purpose of writing with a focus on the choices writers must make—from words, phrases and metaphors to the sentences and paragraphs that make up creative expression.

Duration Six weeks|
Location Online|
Commitment 6-8 hours per week|
Start date September 18th 2024|
Price £1,550|
NEW COURSE

Data storytelling and visualisation

Do you need to review, analyse or prepare reports and presentations using data, or use numbers for business? Designed by the award-winning data-journalism team at The Economist, this two-week online course will show you how to harness data to make better decisions. You’ll explore data visualisation, develop a “data mindset” and gain the tools to use numbers effectively to solve real problems.

Duration Two weeks|
Location Online|
Commitment 6 hours per week|
Start date September 23rd 2024|
Price £650|
NEW COURSE

Critical thinking and decision-making

In an algorithm-fuelled world, the ability to interrogate assumptions and reason with rigour is essential, both in business and in life. Designed by The Economist’s journalists and leading critical-thinking experts, this two-week online course will equip you with the tools to avoid cognitive bias, reframe complex problems and capitalise on your human advantage. You’ll gain the practical techniques and skills to use data discerningly and strengthen decisions through self-reflection, with a case study from The Economist’s newsroom.

Duration Two weeks|
Location Online|
Commitment 5-6 hours per week|
Start date September 16th 2024|
Price £650|
UPDATED

International relations and the future of geopolitics

Develop the tools to interpret global developments with this course, updated to reflect the invasion of Ukraine. As Russia throws the geopolitical order into disarray and the US-China rivalry intensifies, discover how to interpret the changes in power dynamics and what they mean for you.

Duration Six weeks|
Location Online|
Commitment 6-8 hours per week|
Start date October 23rd 2024|
Price £1,620|
Updated

Climate change and sustainability in business

Cultivate effective, climate-conscious business strategies in our six-week online course. Get a practical grounding in the science and economics of climate change, examine the business risks and analyse corporate decarbonisation strategies.

Duration Six weeks|
Location Online|
Commitment 6-8 hours per week|
Start date October 16th 2024|
Price £1,620|
UPDATED

Fintech and the future of finance

Do you understand how technological innovation is shaking up finance? Covering subjects such as cryptocurrencies, personal fintech, blockchain and govcoins, you’ll build a clear picture of the disruptions and opportunities affecting the future of finance.

Duration Six weeks|
Location Online|
Commitment 6-8 hours per week|
Start date October 9th 2024|
Price £1,620|

Stay tuned for more

New courses are in development—keep in touch to find out more.

Trusted globally

See how employees from these companies have benefited from our courses:

This course was excellent in helping to better understand the art of writing. The system it uses to help a writer understand planning, structure, delivery and editing is straightforward and packed with tips. My big complaint is why no one told me this approach at university. I wish I had learnt this a decade ago!

Matthew Pollard

Meta

Matthew Pollard
Alex Veseliy
Andrea Michel
Lafayette Howell
Charles Pascu II
Sebastian Taboada
Steve Mann
Adriana Browczuk
Carlos Santa Cruz

Frequently asked questions

How are the courses taught?

Each course is broken down into manageable, weekly modules, designed to facilitate the learning process with diverse learning activities.

You will work through online instructional materials made up of notes, videos, podcasts, infographics, polls, quizzes, real-world case studies and assessments.

There will be a high level of interaction with peers and the tutor team through weekly class forums and small group discussions.

You will apply what you learn each week to submitted work, some of which is graded.

Are there any due dates, and how flexible are the courses at accommodating my schedule?

Each week you will have one or more activity submissions due. All submissions will be shared ahead of time, upon the release of each module, so that you can plan accordingly.

Although we recommend that you stick to the weekly deadlines in order to get the most out of your course, there is an extension request service available for when you need additional time (terms and conditions apply). Your success adviser is also always available to support you with any scheduling challenges.

What sort of qualification do I get?

Our online short courses lead to a certificate of completion upon successfully finishing a course. The course content enables students to gain skills to remain confident, competent and relevant in the workplace.

The courses do not carry any credits towards a university degree or diploma qualification.

How do I get a certificate of completion and can I receive one with distinction?

Throughout your course you will receive feedback from tutors on assignments and interactive exercises in forums. For our two-week courses, participants will receive an online badge if they successfully complete all course modules and submit all assignments. For our six-week courses, there are four categories of grades, which are explained to participants in the orientation module. Participants who achieve 50% or higher will receive a certificate of completion. Participants who achieve 75% or higher will receive a distinction.

What kind of support will I get on the course?

A dedicated success adviser will support you from start to finish. They will be available online during office hours to offer administrative and technical assistance for the duration of the course.

When you need support outside of office hours, there is a team of success advisers available to handle any general queries you may have. The tutor team will provide you with content support via an online discussion forum in the online learning platform.

What are the payment options?

You can either pay your course fees in full before the course starts or elect to make use of a part-payment option to settle your fees over the duration of the course. Please note that the part payment option incurs an administration fee of 3% of the course cost.

What is GetSmarter?

GetSmarter is an online-learning company with more than ten years’ experience in developing premium, online short courses from the world’s leading universities and institutions.

Do users get a LinkedIn badge as well as a certificate upon completion?

To incorporate a LinkedIn badge into their profile, participants can navigate to the “Licenses & certification” section and simply click the plus button.

What if English is not my native language?

All of our courses are taught in English. However, many of our participants are not native English speakers. Our videos have English subtitles, and tutors are available online to clarify the meaning of course materials and support participants as needed. Our courses take a “tools not rules” approach and aim to guide participants to develop their skills and broaden their perspectives, rather than focusing heavily on grammar or spelling.