Navigate our changing world without a commitment to full-time education.

About the BEI

In April 2021, the Balsillie School of International Affairs launched the Balsillie Executive Institute (BEI), offering certificate-based professional development short courses to those interested in enhancing their skills and remaining abreast of current sector-relevant thinking, without a commitment to full-time education.

At the BEI, executive course and masterclass delivery is led by globally renowned experts in their fields. This expertise draws on the institutional centres of excellence in Waterloo, ON and beyond. The BEI’s wide network of international partners, who preside as national experts within their own geo-strategic and cultural contexts, ensure that our delivery reflects global perspectives for those seeking careers in internationally minded organizations.

CIGI Campus

Photo: Centre for International Governance Innovation, by M. Mezulis

Our approach

The BEI leads on the delivery of research-informed training with relevant practical outcomes. Offering executive courses and masterclasses, BEI courses cater to current-day demands on both work and personal schedules. For this reason, our instructors are available for both in-person and online course delivery.

All course content focuses on projecting the latest knowledge combined with valuable skill sets which align with the expectations of experts and leaders working at all levels of government, non-government, and private sector organizations.

These courses are also available in bespoke course formats, which can be molded to suit the purposes of specific institutions and organizations.

BSIA building

Photo: Centre for International Governance Innovation courtyard, by J2d50 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

What sets us apart

Situated at the heart of Waterloo’s intellectual square mile, the BEI is committed to the delivery of current knowledge and future trends. The executive training offerings also reflect the unique comparative advantage which Waterloo-based experts, whose research addresses the intersection between technology and policy, bring to executive education and training. The BEI’s wide network of international partners, who preside as national experts within their own geo-strategic and cultural contexts, ensure that our delivery reflects global perspectives and wider international good practice, offering an unrivalled and truly unique experience.

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