Liquid education for a liquid life

During the 2020–2021 academic year, IE University launched its Liquid Learning model and transformed its educational experience by thoroughly integrating on-campus classroom learning with hybrid sessions. Now, students who are physically in the classroom and those who are connected online can collectively enjoy the same immersive experience, as well as asynchronous sessions that encourage individual work.

“The modern world is liquid. It’s constantly moving, and it can’t be confined to one space or one mindset. And while globalization and technology bring us closer together, they also trigger change at a pace that isn’t likely to slow anytime soon, which means we need to adjust the way we learn, live, and engage with one another,” said Nick van Dam, Chief Learning Officer and Chair of the IE University Center for Liquid Learning. “At IE University, we’ve developed an agile, fluid, and adaptable educational environment that empowers us to navigate the waves of uncertainty that modern life brings.”

The Liquid Learning methodology is flexible and runs smoothly between the digital and physical worlds. Depending on the program structure and format, classes can be online, offline, synchronous, asynchronous, in Madrid or anywhere else in the world.

“The pandemic forced us to accelerate our plans. We activated our digital platforms in 24 hours to train all our students, located in 140 countries, in different time zones, and we did not miss a single hour of class. After two decades working in the design and delivery of online and hybrid masters, we were in a privileged position to guarantee continued academic activity, whether it be in person, online, or hybrid,” explained Diego del Alcázar Benjumea, CEO of IE University.

After a few months of 100% online classes, IE University welcomed students from around the world back to the physical campus, resuming face to face classroom activities in June 2020 – and all IE University campuses have remained open since.

In fact, the demand and desire for getting back to the classroom is there. A recent IE University Mobility Report, which surveyed 4,000 people from the UK, US, France, and Spain, confirmed that students remained eager to study abroad during pandemic and felt that the experience would improve their employability by allowing them to immerse themselves in a new culture, new language, and new networks. The results highlight that, in addition to the growing interest in remote learning methodologies, students value the opportunity to be part of diverse ecosystem with peers from different nationalities and cultures.