"The course is pitched at the right level, and strikes the right balance between theory classes and practical exercises. Moreover, it is most interesting to discover the common ground shared by the Post and other network enterprises," says a delighted David AVSEC, IT Development Manager with the UPU's Postal Technology Centre and currently taking the first Executive Master in Postal Leadership at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Launched on 28 April, this master's degree is an advanced programme of continuing education, specially designed to address postal issues through an industry-wide, multi-stakeholder approach. This part-time programme is intended for senior postal managers with 10 to 15 years' technical or commercial experience. The first intake comprises 10 students from six countries of Africa, Asia and Europe. "Our programme's format is unique, with four macro-modules of two to three weeks, taking place at the EPFL and at partner institutions in Singapore, Australia and the United States of America," says Kristian SUND, the course's Managing Director. "Participants embark on a truly 'global learning journey' of 15 months, where they will learn from the best academics, industry experts and executives. They will be confronted with a variety of contexts, examples and experiences from around the world, allowing them to take new ideas back to their organizations."
The UPU supports this training as part of the memorandum of understanding it signed with the EPFL in 2006, which aims to promote research and education in the postal field. In this connection, the UPU Director General, Edouard DAYAN, and a UPU economist, José ANSON, led two sessions on 5 May in Lausanne. Mr. DAYAN spoke about the important role of multilateralism in postal sector development in the current context of globalization, and about migration and the development of trade by micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, while José ANSON presented various models for postal sector development in Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa and the emerging Asian countries. Mr. DAYAN expressed his delight at the conducting of exchanges with students from around the world, and noted the fruitful collaboration between the UPU and the EPFL. Competition, regulation, the universal service obligation and innovation will be on the agenda of forthcoming sessions. In addition to postal issues, increased emphasis will be placed on management. Consequently, this master's programme may be regarded as a sort of postal MBA. By the end of this training, participants will have acquired the skills to assume management responsibilities with public and private postal operators, regulatory authorities, governments, suppliers and strategic partners.