NextGen China is a program designed for mid-level Chinese museum professionals to strengthen their leadership and management skills. It is aimed at Chinese museum leaders who are dedicating their careers to transforming the museums in China for greater capacity and innovation into the twenty-first century.
The intensive curriculum includes topics on leadership assessment and development, team leadership, strategy and innovation, audience engagement, visitor-experience mapping, design thinking, and best and next practices in Chinese Museums. Faculty come from the Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management at CGU, as well as including other MLI faculty and staff. The program combines online modules with a residency program in China. Course materials and group discussions are delivered in English and Chinese. Fellows are supported in their learning by Chinese alumni of the Museum Leadership Institute who serve as peer mentors.
NextGen China is a multi-year collaboration between MLI and the Chinese Museums Association that began in 2017. NextGen China 2017 with 25 fellows was held in Xi’an in September 2017 and was also supported by the Shaanxi History Museum, the Shaanxi Normal University, and a grant from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. NextGen China 2019 with 34 fellows ran in Suzhou in October 2019 in partnership with the Suzhou Museum.
NextGen China offers a multifaceted learning experience. Learning online and in the classroom includes lectures, peer discussions and group study, self-directed reading and journaling, and group problem-solving exercises. Participants use newfound insights to address institutional challenges and plan meaningful solutions to take home.
MLI executive education programs help museum professionals become better leaders. Program participants increase their knowledge and skills in four core areas:
- Self-Knowledge: Gain an in-depth understanding of individual leadership styles and learn how to hone your strengths and maximize opportunities.
- Management Skills: Sharpen your knowledge and understanding of innovative concepts and current trends in key subject areas of Leadership Assessment and Development, Strategy and Strategic Planning, Leading High Performing Teams, Audience Engagement, and Design Thinking.
- Pragmatic Practice: Understand core strategic steps, frameworks, and measurement tools to solve complex organizational challenges and build capacity at your organization. Meet other leaders in the field and explore best and new practices.
- Leadership: Understand effective leadership and develop your overall leadership skills. Create action plans to implement for your own leadership development and to effectively build your career. Assess and generate new museum thought leadership and contribute to cultural infrastructure for the field.
Meixia Guo
Deputy Director of Publicity and Education Department
Researcher
Palace Museum
GLI Class of 2014
Shen Maosheng
Deputy Director
Emperor Qin Shihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum
GLI Class of 2014
Feige Xiao
Director of Marketing and Communication
Chengdu Museum
NextGen Class of 2012
GLI Class of 2019
Rui Xu
Chief of Central China International Ceramics Biennale Office,
Henan Museum
GLI Class of 2016
Lei Yin
Deputy Director General
Nanjing Imperial Examination Museum of China
GLI Class of 2019