Unlike traditional executive education courses, which teach managers in the classroom, the Hong Kong-based Global Young Leaders Programme aims to expose mid and senior-level managers to different areas of the world. More than 160 people have already participated in the program in four developing countries. Participants in the two-week course spend the first week developing a business plan and hearing from guest speakers, including politicians and business leaders.

During the second week students put what they've learned to good use. One recent trip took a group of participants to Cambodia where they created a business plan for an organic rice supplier. The goal was to help bring in potential investors.

Chandran Nair, founder of the pan Asian think tank, Global Institute for Tomorrow, which runs the three-year-old program, says the point of the experience-based course is to teach managers global awareness and the impact business can have on society-- something not easily gained from inside a classroom. "There is still this hugely held belief that business is separate from the rest of the world," says Mr. Nair.

Reporter Alina Dizik spoke with Mr. Nair about the program. Edited excerpts follow.

Q: You launched this executive education program in 2006, but how did you decide to get started?

A: I was the chairman of a large consulting firm (Environmental Resources Management) and I cashed out in 2004 and decided that I wanted to do something that would bring leadership development and social entrepreneurship into Asia. (This program) combines executive learning with my belief that there are opportunities for investment in places--outside of the traditional areas--that often get ignored.

Q: How is the two-week program organized?

A: For the first week, there's a broad spectrum of speakers--we try to not overload the sessions with celebrity CEOs. We want to get at the fact that leadership is everywhere in society. During the second week, we fly to a country. We're not trying to make this a granola and 'go nature' experience; (students) have a serious mission and have to produce a business plan which will then be the basis for (presentations to) serious investors. The days are very long, typically 8 a.m. to midnight.

Q: How do you choose the countries and what projects do you work on while on the ground?

A: Normally, the projects drive the selection of the country. For instance, we have carried out a number of agricultural projects in China where there is a strong push by the mainland government to tackle rural poverty. In India, our last project was IT and communication empowerment of rural communities just outside Delhi. An earlier project concerned using eco-tourism as a means of protecting Asiatic lions in Gujarat. Laos and Cambodia were selected for different projects; renewable energy for remote communities and empowerment of a local NGO--instead of depending on foreign aid--through the setting up of an independent rice-trading enterprise.

Q: What kinds of skills do participants learn during the week on the ground?

A: (They learn) to debate in a cross-cultural context. We provide direct feedback, and they learn how you can beg to differ without being rude. Behavior in a cross-cultural setting, even table etiquette, can have a bearing on how students are viewed.

Q: What kind of people attend the program?

A: The groups are made up of people in their late 20s and 30s from corporate, government and non-government organizations. Typical corporate organizations (who send people) range from multinationals like Shell, Hewlett Packard, CLSA, Credit Suisse, Standard Chartered, to major Asian brands. The NGOs represented include the likes of Oxfam and UNICEF as well as many local (groups). The purpose of mixing these sectors is to broaden the empathy skills of individuals to understand the needs and aspirations of different organizations. Increasingly, we are getting companies who want (the course) tailor-made for the company.

Q: What do you hope that students get out of this experience?

A: We need a whole batch of people to look at the world differently. They already have some of the functional skills but we need to instil a whole new sense of curiosities to get them to start questioning.

Q: Some M.B.A. programs say they want their students to get involved. How are you planning to expand in the next few years?

A: We are doing a program with the undergraduate business students at HKUST (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) in July. For next year, we are now in discussions with CIEBS (China Europe International Business School), the M.B.A. program at HKUST, and NUS (National University of Singapore).