Vision

The Inspired Leadership Initiative was developed for accomplished leaders from all walks of life to come to Notre Dame for a one-year program to study, discern and then launch the next phase of their lives as a renewed and richly prepared force for good in their communities and beyond. ILI Fellows will be mentored and supported by Notre Dame faculty and staff as they tap into the enriching academic environment of the University. They will have a wealth of resources available to them—with a core and tailored curriculum at its center, surrounded by international engagement through Notre Dame’s Global Gateways, community engagement, and an invitation to spiritual discernment.  

ILI represents Notre Dame’s first venture into "encore education"—a growing form of higher education—and is inspired by the Advanced Leadership Initiative at Harvard University and the Distinguished Careers Institute at Stanford University. Just as these pioneering programs reflect the culture of their host universities, so too will the Inspired Leadership Initiative distinctively reflect Notre Dame and its rich traditions.

With the support of Notre Dame’s President’s Leadership Council and Deans Council, ILI Fellows will learn by auditing classes, attending lectures, and engaging in student projects on campus; have student access to campus resources and activities; utilize the Notre Dame Global Gateways in places like Beijing, Dublin, Rome, London, and Jerusalem; and will have many opportunities to make a lasting impact—both for themselves and in the lives of others—through community engagement.

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