Summer School 2026 - Learning Organisations in the 21st century

The Faculty of Organisational Studies in Novo mesto (FOŠ), Slovenia, invites students who wish to acquire knowledge in the field of organisational learning and development and to gain ECTS credits to the Summer School 2026: Learning Organisations in the 21st century. The Summer School is organised through the FOS International Transdisciplinary Research Centre LEAD (Leadership Excellence and Development) and the Academic Development Centre (ARC).

In today’s rapidly changing world, organisations that thrive are those that learn continuously, adapt effectively, and build capacity for collective growth. The Summer School 2026 explores the concept of the Learning Organisation, as developed by Peter Senge in his seminal work The Fifth Discipline, and examines how these ideas remain vital in the 21st century.

Across six interactive sessions over two weeks, participants will engage in critical discussions, applied exercises, and reflective activities designed to identify, analyse, and understand the five disciplines of the Learning Organisation. The Summer School 2026 is co-delivered by academics and guest practitioners who will share real-world stories drawn from both public institutions and international corporations, illustrating cases where the concept of the learning organisation was either strongly present or conspicuously absent. Through these accounts, participants will have the opportunity to discuss how the learning organisation is embodied in the 21st century with those who have experienced its effects first-hand.

Throughout the Summer School’s interactive and explicitly proactive approach, participants will be supported in designing personal and/or organisational action plans for each of the five disciplines of the Learning Organisation. These action plans will serve as concrete roadmaps to foster learning-oriented change in their own workplaces, studies, or communities.

By the end of the Summer School 2026, participants will be able to:
• Critically explain and apply the principles of Senge’s Learning Organisation.
• Analyse real organisational scenarios using systems thinking and reflective practice.
• Evaluate how learning processes operate—or fail to operate—within complex institutions.
• Design actionable strategies for all five disciplines of Learning Organisations
• Collaborate effectively across cultural, disciplinary, and professional boundaries.

Course Focus
Participants will identify, analyse, and understand the five disciplines of the Learning Organisation:
1. Personal Mastery – Developing self-awareness, purpose, and commitment to lifelong learning.
2. Mental Models – Recognising and challenging underlying assumptions that shape organisational behaviour.
3. Shared Vision – Building common purpose and genuine commitment across teams and organisations.
4. Team Learning – Enhancing collective intelligence through dialogue, reflection, and collaboration.
5. Systems Thinking – Understanding complex interrelationships and feedback loops that shape organisational dynamics.