It’s some ambition, to create an educational institution bringing together the principles of Nelson Mandela and Leonardo da Vinci. One was a 20th and 21st century statesman; the other, born in 1452, was a master innovator and theorist who found fame as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, sculptor and architect.
But the Da Vinci Institute: School of Business Leadership, which takes part in the FM’s executive education market research for the first time in 2021, is not short on vision.
No-one could argue against trying to replicate Mandela’s humanitarian leadership philosophy, or Da Vinci’s genius. In a crowded business education field, however, true innovation is hard to create.
HB Klopper, executive dean for research and institutional partnerships, says the school is unique because it "looks at things through different lenses".
"We look at problem-probing, not solving. We have a drive for curiosity," he says.
The school describes its teaching as "trans-disciplinary in nature, socially relevant and practical, resulting in a new generation of agile, aligned and engaged leaders, managers and employees".
None of this is unique. It is what all business schools aspire to. What is not in doubt, however, is Da Vinci’s ambition. In addition to executive education, the private school offers business-related qualifications from higher-certificate to doctoral level.
As a distance educator, online teaching was already at the core of its activities before Covid forced it on the whole sector. "Unlike some schools, we didn’t have to move into that space last year," says Klopper, former head of MBA and executive education at Monash SA. "We were faced with an administrative challenge, but not a teaching one."
Consequently the school enjoyed a "very good" 2020.
"It was one of our best years," says Klopper. "Our student numbers actually increased. In 2021 we are well on the way towards our growth target."
This development has encouraged the school to look beyond SA. Collaboration with schools in the UK, Europe and Australia is on the cards.
The immediate target, though, is Africa, where Da Vinci already has a number of relationships. There are plans for several academic research centres across the continent.
"Ideally, we would also like to have industrial partners in these countries," says Klopper. "It would be nice to see some commercial benefits."
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