Michael L. Koenig is Associate Dean for Innovation Initiatives and Executive Director of Executive Education at Rice Business since 2017. In his dual role, he bridges technology and business education, driving innovation internally and externally. As Associate Dean, he aligns technology with strategic goals. In Executive Education, he focuses on expanding technology-driven programs for local, national, and global impact. Previously, at the Darden School of Business, he was Senior Assistant Dean and inaugural Executive Director of Program Innovation, shaping innovative programs and expanding global reach. Koenig also has startup experience, orchestrating rapid growth at Logictier Inc. from four to 220 employees. Earlier, he was Senior Manager for Professional Education at Stanford Center for Professional Development, growing Stanford Online.
In this insightful conversation with the Higher Education Digest Magazine, Michael shares his experiences in driving innovation within academia, overcoming resistance to change, and leveraging emerging technologies like AI to enhance learning. He also discusses the critical role of global collaboration in preparing students for an interconnected world and the importance of fostering adaptability and lifelong learning.
You’ve played a key role in driving innovation at both Darden and now Rice Business. What are some of the most significant challenges you’ve encountered in implementing change within established academic institutions, and how did you overcome them?
Senior faculty members, especially those with long tenures at the institution, often hold significant formal and informal influence. While their expertise and leadership are invaluable, their professional backgrounds may not always be closely tied to entrepreneurship or innovation. As a result, fostering change can sometimes be challenging.
To overcome this, I focus on involving faculty leadership early in the conversation. By engaging them in discussions about strategic changes and innovations, I ensure that we have buy-in from key faculty members across disciplines. This collaboration helps build a foundation of goodwill, which can be leveraged to influence the larger faculty body. When faculty feel a sense of ownership over the changes, it’s easier to gain their approval and avoid negative inertia.
Change is not culturally common in academic institutions, so I take a gradual approach. Small successes help build trust and demonstrate the value of innovation. Once these changes show results, I make sure to highlight them publicly, which is crucial to maintain momentum and ensure that successes are acknowledged.
The real measure of success comes when faculty members start coming to you with their own ideas, big or small, for improvement. At that point, you’ve fostered a culture of creativity and innovation. The final step is to implement systems and governance to evaluate, pilot and scale these ideas. Unsuccessful ideas are either refined or phased out, while successful ones are expanded. My experience at Rice Business is somewhat exceptional as faculty leadership and the culture of the institution are much more aligned with entrepnuership and innovation frameworks and processes. This has resulted more rapid adoption of significant innovation and change over the past decade.
It’s absolutely possible to drive innovation within academic institutions, but it requires patience, resilience and the ability to navigate the complexities of governance. It can sometimes feel slow, but with long-term value in mind, persistence pays off. Finding champions within the institution and keeping them engaged is key to creating lasting change.
The intersection of technology and business education is constantly evolving. What emerging trends do you see as most transformative for higher education in the next 5-10 years, and how should institutions adapt to capitalize on these trends?
Having worked at the intersection of technology and executive education, I’ve seen firsthand how technology advances through various cycles, with early adopters sometimes succeeding and sometimes failing. As academic institutions, it’s crucial that we stay ahead by adopting new technologies with a research-based approach. We must not only test and evaluate technologies internally, but also share what we learn with the broader community, helping non-academic institutions understand what works and what doesn’t.
The key is to be informed and strategic in our adoption, understanding both the risks and rewards. We don’t need to be the first to market, but we should be thoughtful about when and how to integrate new tools. That way, we can lead by example and use evidence to guide our decisions.
I believe technologies like artificial intelligence and generative AI will create significant opportunities in higher education. However, as these technologies become more ubiquitous, the value of face-to-face interaction will only grow. Classroom engagement, professional networking and the physical campus will differentiate institutions in ways that AI cannot replicate.
My approach is to experiment, add new technologies to our portfolio and continuously test their effectiveness. Different students have different learning styles, and geographical factors play a role as well. We must adapt to meet those needs, understanding that technology will make our offerings more differentiated and valuable — though it may require more resources. Ultimately, it’s about blending the best of both worlds: technology’s power to enhance education and the irreplaceable value of in-person experiences.
Global interconnectedness is reshaping the student experience and the demands of the modern workforce. How can universities foster a more global perspective in their curricula and prepare graduates for success in an increasingly interconnected world?
First and foremost, universities need to ensure their faculty and staff represent the diversity of the world. It’s essential to allocate time, energy and resources toward providing global experiences for students, and these experiences must be meaningful and engaging. One of the most effective ways to globalize is to help students understand both the similarities and differences across cultures and business practices.
While physical locations are important, technology can also play a key role in fostering a global perspective. Synchronous digital platforms allow students, faculty and staff to engage across borders, offering a low-cost, impactful way to expand their global reach.
Additionally, partnering with trusted global entities is crucial. Collaborating with institutions from different regions allows access to diverse economies, cultures, business systems and historical contexts. For example, our partnership with Leadership Academy Nepal provides a model where students and faculty can engage with a very different set of business practices, leveraging both in-person travel and digital connections. By offering both high-value global programs and more accessible digital courses, universities can create rich, globally diverse educational experiences extending reach and impact.
Access and affordability remain critical challenges in higher education. What innovative approaches can universities take to address these issues and ensure a more equitable and inclusive learning environment?
One of the great things about Rice University is that we actively tackle these challenges in two key ways. First, we have significant philanthropic resources that allow us to support students who might otherwise not have the financial means to attend Rice. These resources help make education more accessible to a diverse group of students across the university.
Additionally, through platforms like Coursera, edX, 2U, and GetSmarter, Rice University has developed online programs that offer greater convenience and accessibility at a lower cost than traditional on-campus programs. By leveraging these platforms, we can extend the reach of our education to a broader audience while keeping costs manageable, making higher education more affordable and inclusive.
What are some of the most significant skills and competencies that students need to develop to thrive in the future of work, and how can higher education institutions effectively cultivate these skills?
First and foremost, it’s essential for students to cultivate a mindset of curiosity and active learning. While specific skill sets may evolve over time, the ability to adapt and continuously learn is crucial. Higher education institutions must foster this adaptability by emphasizing the importance of a learning mindset in both psychology and leadership.
Institutions should ensure that students understand how to become effective and efficient learners —how to acquire skills when needed and continuously build and redesign their own skill sets. This approach is essential, and it’s why research-driven institutions are so valuable. Faculty and researchers in these environments are constantly exploring new ways to help students develop tools and frameworks that will serve them well in the future of work.
Looking back on your career, what is a piece of advice or experience that has been particularly influential in shaping your leadership style and your approach to innovation in education?
One of the most impactful experiences in my career was being selected as a United Nations Graduate Fellow, where I was one of only four fellows chosen out of 75 candidates from around the world to represent the United Staes. This experience taught me how many core concerns people share across cultures, but also how different the systems and frameworks we operate within can be. I realized that to create successful, sustainable outcomes in such diverse contexts, it’s essential to approach everything with humility and a mindset of learning. By asking questions and understanding both similarities and differences, we can build something truly impactful together. This is particularly true in fields like education, policy and sustainability, where the work is complex, takes time and requires resilience.
Another key lesson I’ve learned is the importance of surrounding myself with people who share my passion for innovation and are willing to take risks. Not every initiative will succeed, and things may break along the way, but having a team that embraces the journey and learns from setbacks is crucial. Over time, I’ve found leaders who are willing to take those risks with me, and I’ve learned that it’s essential to build diverse teams, never burn bridges and always uplift others by giving them opportunities to grow. When you create a culture of support and continuous learning, everyone benefits.