CAS Digital Business Leader
"AI will not replace us, but humans with AI will." - The CAS Digital Business Leader program prepares you for the fifth industrial revolution, the age of artificial intelligence (AI). You will learn about the disruptive digital trends, recognize and use the potential of AI to optimize your business, and lead your team into new digital growth areas, form a dynamic team culture. The application-orientated training for middle managers equips you with practical tools for dealing professionally with digital transformation and AI. At the same time, you will receive effective tools for managing your team in a rapidly changing world.
Overview
Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Digital Business Leadership
November 2024
University of Bern
14 course days
3 modules with 2 seminars each
6 weeks before course start
12
German
CHF 12,900
Your Benefits
Digital Business Leadership
The degree program shows ways to act and lead professionally in an environment of modern technologies, transformation, and cultural change. To support the direct use of the learnings, the focus lies on application, i.e. theoretical models and concepts form the basis for direct implementation in practice, in your own working environment.
AI-Focus
Utilized with AI, data form the basis for increased efficiency and new business options. This topic is continuously addressed in all modules. However, as AI is not a purely technical topic, but has an impact on the entire company and society, the degree program also addresses strategic components as well as cultural challenges and opportunities.
Change of Perspective
Customer centricity, company performance and employee engagement are key challenges of our time. The different perspectives are examined in each module and deepened with examples. This gives ideas to optimize your own business and strengthen your innovative power and corporate culture
Best Practices
The program focuses on teaching well-established concepts and models for immediate implementation in professional practice. The practical orientation is reinforced by examples, guest lectures and workshops in combination with peer coaching. This way, you also benefit from the experience of your fellow students.
Expertise
Prof. Dr Marc K. Peter is the program director. In addition to his expertise in digital growth, strategy, and transformation, he brings consulting experience from SMEs, public administration, and large companies. His teaching will be complemented by other experienced experts from various fields sharing their specialist knowledge and ensuring exciting dialogues based on tried-and-tested concepts.
Network
In addition to the experienced lecturers and guest speakers, the participants from various organizations and industries guarantee a stimulating exchange in and outside the classroom. After graduation, the valuable network lives on through regular meetings within the alumni/ae organization
Study Modules
AI solutions are used in a wide variety of areas. They are changing the use of data in companies and are unfolding new opportunities. With the application-oriented Digital Business Leader program, you will master current challenges in connection with AI, digital transformation, and the associated cultural change in companies and society. The program equips you with tools to professionalize your digital activities and enables you to manage and lead change management processes holistically. To develop your personal digital roadmap, you will continuously examine the topics of data and AI together with fellow participants from a wide range of organizations and industries.
The kick-off day provides important fundamentals on digital transformation, innovation, ecosystems, artificial intelligence, and cultural change.
Kick-Off
- Welcome, introduction, and overview of the program
- Assessment of the organization’s current state and inspiration for individual practical concepts
- Exploration of future disruptions and insights into the world of AI startups, followed by a panel discussion on “AI in the Present and Future”
Learning Objectives
- Gain an overview of the CAS (Certificate of Advanced Studies) and its content/modules
- Define the content of one’s own practical concept through assessment and topic allocation
- Utilize inspiration from startups for one’s own organization.
To maintain or strengthen one’s competitiveness in the accelerated and digital age, it is important to continuously identify and analyze technology trends as well as market participants. The insights gained, combined with knowledge of customer needs and competitor offerings, lead to adjustments and innovations in products, services, and business models. The resulting digital transformation is anchored in the company’s strategy and enables sustainable and successful enhancement of (international) competitiveness in markets increasingly dominated by digital platforms and channels.
The module consists of two seminars:
Seminar 1: Digital Competitiveness and Ecosystems
- Digital Transformation: Drivers, Challenges, and Implementation
- Developing Digital Competitive Advantages
- Digital Ecosystems: Concepts, Examples, Planning, and Development Steps
- Best Practices in Digital Business
Seminar 2: Innovation and Co-Creation
- Innovation Management in the Digital Age: Concepts and Methods
- Entrepreneurship: Accepting Risks, Developing and Marketing Ideas
- Customer Centricity: User Experience and Co-Creation
- Best Practices in Digital Business
Learning Objectives
- Identify and evaluate technology trends,
- Recognize and evaluate potential ecosystems,
- Strategically utilize innovation management,
- Anticipate customer needs and develop services in collaboration with customers (Co-Creation),
- Develop digital innovations and initiatives,
- Identify and describe digital market potentials,
- Utilize international best-practice examples for one’s own organization,
- Create a digital master plan and embed it in the corporate strategy to enhance competitiveness.
New technologies and data are central fields of action in digital transformation. Alongside AI and other emerging technologies (such as sensors), they serve as sources of innovation and infrastructure for strategy implementation. Data strategies support both the operational (e.g., process optimization using AI) and strategic (e.g., leveraging AI to build strategic partnerships) transformation of organizations. Cybersecurity plays an important role in protecting technologies/infrastructures and data. All four areas (technologies, data, AI, cybersecurity) challenge organizations to acquire specialized knowledge and methodologies to ensure their competitiveness.
The module consists of two seminars:
Seminar 1: Technologies and Cyber Resilience
- Digital Technologies (Technology Radar): Opportunities and Risks
- Technology Spotlight: Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Cybersecurity and Resilience, and Data Privacy
- Best Practices for New Technologies
Seminar 2: Data Management and Artificial Intelligence
- Data Strategy/Concept for AI and Data Science
- AI Application Areas (Data Concepts, Processes, and Business Models)
- Regulatory and Ethical Challenges of AI Technologies (including GDPR)
- Best Practices for Smart Data
Learning Objectives
- Understand and evaluate use cases of new digital technologies,
- Identify innovation potentials from digital technologies,
- Develop data concepts for operational and strategic use,
- Design potential ecosystems based on data,
- Understand and embed AI for operational and strategic use within the organization,
- Ensure compliance with data protection regulations (national and international),
- Consider ethical considerations in the development of AI,
- Recognize and plan cybersecurity/resilience as a strategic success factor for transformation,
- Utilize international best-practice examples for the organization,
- Expand the digital master plan with concrete initiatives from the areas of technologies, data, and cybersecurity/resilience.
For the sustainable implementation of innovations and competitive strategies in the accelerated digital age, employees are a critical success factor. Organizations invest in culture development, corporate climate, leadership skills, and digital capabilities to meet market and strategy requirements. The internal digital transformation thus leads to the transformation of the working world, making the organization attractive to talents, optimizing internal collaboration, and modernizing the workplace. The digital, strategic transformation requires strong teams and strong leadership, fostered by agile methods (e.g., Scrum).
The module consists of two seminars:
Seminar 1: Ethical Responsibility and Societal Change
- Society and Sustainability
- Ethical Responsibility
- Ethics and Leadership in the Digital Age
- Best Practice Digital Business
Seminar 2: Digital Leadership and Culture
- Organizational Development as the Basis for a Shared Corporate Culture
- Agile and Digital Leadership
- Digital Competencies
- Best Practices in Digital Business
Learning Objectives
- Plan and Implement Modern Workspaces (New Work)
- Define and Develop Corporate and Leadership Culture
- Identify Necessary Digital Competencies and Define Educational Measures
- Learn Agile Project and Product Development Methods
- Define Success Factors for Transformation in One’s Own Organization and Plan and Measure Their Implementation
- Utilize International Best Practice Examples for One’s Own Organization
- Ensure Successful Implementation of the Digital Master Plan with Appropriate Measures
Program Details
Those who do not engage with digital transformation and artificial intelligence are missing out on opportunities to optimize and accelerate their core business, as well as strengthen the innovative capacity of their company. The Digital Business Leader program aims to counteract this.
The goal of the program is to provide participants with a broad understanding of the themes, drivers, barriers, and opportunities of digital transformation. Upon successful completion of the Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS), participants will be able to develop a transformation strategy for their own organization or work area, create an implementation plan, and realize it together with their teams.
Participants will:
- Acquire competencies and tools to successfully tackle practical issues related to digital transformation,
- Engage with best practice examples and discuss pitfalls to avoid,
- Anticipate future changes in the business environment due to new technologies,
- Understand the digital acceleration of the economy and society,
- Address ethical responsibilities and contribute to a sustainable corporate and leadership culture in the digital age,
- Understand the challenges and potentials associated with digital transformation in various business areas/levels,
- Develop current knowledge of data management,
- Understand the potential of AI for new products/services and business process optimization,
- Assess regulatory and ethical challenges of AI technologies for their company,
- Identify success factors for transformation in the context of customer-centricity, company performance, and employee motivation, and measure their implementation,
- Plan holistic change management processes and sustainably implement them in leadership considering New Work concepts,
- Identify, assess, and leverage innovation potential in digital transformation within their own or external companies,
- Ensure successful implementation of the digital master plan with appropriate measures,
- Bridge knowledge gaps between people, society, economy, and technology,
- Address risks and capitalize on resulting opportunities.
Please note that courses and dates can be subjects to change.
Instead of a thesis, participants complete a practical knowledge transfer task after each of the three modules. In combination, these tasks form a comprehensive practice concept for digital transformation within their own organization.
- The corresponding partial tasks serve to deepen and directly apply the module content in their own environment. This allows participants to implement what they have learned directly in their professional lives immediately after the modules.
- The three partial tasks are continuously integrated into a comprehensive practice concept, supplemented with an introduction and conclusions.
The composition of the class is of great importance, as participants also benefit from best practices from various industries and perspectives. The program is aimed at the following target group:
- Middle management
- Departmental management and/or project management/staff responsibility in the areas of corporate/product/technology development or in innovation/information management
- Basic knowledge of business administration
- University degree (exceptions regarding admission requirements may be approved by the program management sur dossier)
The regular program fee is CHF 12,900, which covers program participation, electronic course materials, examination fees, and the certificate from the University of Bern. Course materials are provided electronically, and participants use their own laptop (or tablet) in class.
It is possible to combine this degree program in a modular way with other Rochester-Bern programs. In this way, a “DAS (Diploma of Advanced Studies) in General Management” can be acquired with another CAS degree program and individual modules (as well as a final thesis) or a “MAS (Master of Advanced Studies) in General Management” or with two further CAS programs and individual modules (as well as a final thesis).
Online Application
Download the application package (in German) and complete it electronically. If a signature is required, please print out the document and sign and scan it. You can then upload the completed documents to the application portal. The following documents are required for a complete application. In addition, all terms and conditions must be read and accepted.
- Copy of ID or passport
- Current curriculum vitae
- Letter of motivation
- Copy of the highest diploma
- Portrait photo
- Additional information (in the application package)
Once your application has been fully uploaded, we will contact you about dates for an interview.
Personal Interview
A personal interview will be conducted to determine if your qualifications and specific needs match the program.
Admission Decision
The admission decision is made after the interview.
Next Info Sessions and Events
We will hold events related the CAS Digital Business Leader in the near future. Please click on the link below to view all RoBe events.
Get in touch with us!
Do you have any questions about the program? Our team is happy to answer them.