For the longest time, you could not imagine attending an executive education course without being physically present. Senior leaders cleared diaries, flew in, and committed fully to the classroom. But then the Covid-19 pandemic happened, and almost overnight classes had to shift fully online.
Now that courses have returned to in-person formats, business schools are experimenting with hybrid designs to retain some of the benefits of online learning. Programs are being built with varying degrees of online components, particularly those targeting international cohorts and corporate teams.
Business schools say tighter schedules, globally distributed teams, and better digital tools are driving this shift.
Online modules complement in-person executive education
After the pandemic push toward fully online formats, in-person learning has reasserted its value. But business schools are still employing online elements selectively to cut travel time away from work and reduce costs for participants.
At IE Business School in Spain, online modules are incorporated into executive courses to prepare participants, extend learning and reduce time away from work.
“We have evolved toward an intentional hybrid design, where most programs include some element of online learning, either as preparation before the program, as part of the learning journey itself, or as a follow-up afterward,” says Martín Rodriguez, general manager of IE Lifelong Learning and Digital Learning.
“The online components provide valuable flexibility and are meaningful,” Rodriguez says.
That selective use reflects a broader recalibration taking place across executive education. At HKUST Business School in Hong Kong, hybrid formats remain the exception rather than the rule.
“A majority of our executive programs have resumed to normal in-person format, with quite some fly-in participants for both open and custom programs,” says a spokesperson for the executive education office of the school.
“There are still some online synchronous programs due to the diverse geographical distribution of participants for some multinational corporations.”
How executive education participants are responding to hybrid formats
Executives cite three main benefits of hybrid executive programs: they take less time away from work while still offering meaningful interaction with faculty and peers; international cohorts broaden discussion and perspective; and learning continues beyond the classroom through online collaboration and applied projects.
At IE, programs designed for international audiences that combine several weeks of live online learning with an intensive residential period of one week or longer are gaining strong traction.
“This format is proving very effective,” says Rodriguez. Feedback from participants has been consistently positive.
“The response has been very positive globally, particularly because participants value flexibility while still enjoying the connection and energy of the classroom,” he says.
“Our programs are cohort-based, and that sense of community is key to the success of these formats.”
Hybrid delivery offers flexibility but can also reduce the depth of classroom interaction. Participant feedback from HKUST executive programs suggests these trade-offs are well understood.
“Regional participants found it convenient and effective as they did not have to spend time traveling,” the HKUST spokesperson says. “They also value the flexibility and the advantages of accessibility and cost-saving in this format.”
“However, it was also observed that the class atmosphere was less interactive as participants were distanced by the screens. Participants taking courses in this format also needed strong self-motivation, and experienced tech glitches at times.”
Are hybrid executive education programs here to stay?
Both HKUST and IE see hybrid delivery as more than a temporary phenomenon, though its future shape will depend on how technology and pedagogy continue to evolve.
“We saw that hybrid delivery will be one of the permanent options for our executive clients, especially when it comes to more geographically diverse groups, clients with more robust businesses, as well as programs with tighter budgets,” says the HKUST spokesperson.
“We believe more clients will consider hybrid if the technologies become more sophisticated, in particular the consideration of social networking.”
At IE, the direction of travel is clear.
“From my perspective, hybrid is here to stay. It is already and will be an integral part of executive education,” Rodriguez says.
“At IE, we have been designing blended and hybrid programs for more than 20 years, so this is not new to us.” What is changing, he adds, is the capability of the tools themselves.
“What is exciting now is the potential brought by AI-powered learning, hyper-personalized and immersive formats that include strong online components.”
