In a powerful and timely collaboration, Henley Business School Africa has joined forces with BrightRock, the needs-matched life insurer, as the academic partner in the newly launched Change Science Institute, ushering in a world-first multidisciplinary platform focused on equipping individuals with the tools and insights to navigate change.
The Institute, which was officially opened on Henley’s campus on 18 June 2025 with a dynamic panel discussion, hosted by respected journalist Rob Rose, Editor of Currency News, and attended by an engaged and diverse audience of academics, business leaders, scholars, media professionals, and changemakers from across South Africa. The discussion explored the origins, purpose, and impact of the Change Science Institute, and featured insights from BrightRock CEO, Suzanne Stevens; Henley Dean, Jon Foster-Pedley, and Professor Nicola Kleyn.
The Change Science Institute is a first-of-its-kind South African platform that aims to draw together different strands of behavioural science, psychology, neuroscience, and leadership theory, translating academic insight into practical tools people can use to navigate change in everyday life. Its purpose is clear: to help individuals become more resilient, self-aware, and change-fit through the usable, credible, and empowering application of change science.
From designing tools to help you understand your change personality and level of change-readiness, to offering expert-led learning opportunities , the Institute’s aim is to bridge the gap between science and people's lived experience.
Speaking at the launch, Suzanne Stevens, CEO of BrightRock, shared the company’s long-term vision for the Change Science Institute and how it connects to BrightRock’s broader mission:
“At BrightRock, we’ve always believed life insurance should evolve with people’s needs, because in life, change is inevitable. Our purpose is to help people navigate change in their lives and the Change Science Institute is a natural extension of that thinking. It's about giving people agency and confidence as they face life’s transitions, whether personal, professional, or societal. We're proud to bring together academic excellence, behavioural science, and our deep community insight to help individuals navigate transformation not with fear, but with resilience and optimism.”
Stevens also reflected on BrightRock’s Change Exchange platform, a digital community established over 12 years ago, which has reached over 2 million South Africans annually, shared 2,500 stories of personal change, and cultivated a community of more than 200,000 users.
Henley Business School plays a critical role as the academic and research partner of the Change Science Institute, bringing international credibility and local insight to the initiative. Jon Foster-Pedley, Dean and Director of Henley Business School Africa, shared the school’s motivation for joining forces with BrightRock:
“Business schools today have a responsibility far beyond skills training. Our role is to promote ethical, evidence-based thinking that can empower individuals and transform societies. Partnering with BrightRock to launch the Change Science Institute enables us to do just that. This initiative brings science into daily life. For Henley, our alumni, and the broader South African context, this is about building a community of capable, conscious changemakers.”
The launch also provided an opportunity to explore some of the themes from Henley’s newly released white paper: “Logos, Pathos, Ethos: Why Science Matters for Business.”
The paper is a timely reflection on the erosion of public trust in science and the growing need to champion evidence-based thinking. The paper reinforces the very ethos of the Change Science Institute, where science, business, and society intersect for the greater good.
The Explorer’s Perspective: Prof Nicola Kleyn
Professor Nicola Kleyn, former Dean of GIBS and the Rotterdam School of Management, has also joined the initiative in her role as the Change Science Explorer at the Change Science Institute, tasked with bridging the academic, human, and cultural layers of change science.
“This new role marks a deeply personal and professional evolution for me,” said Kleyn. “Having spent my career navigating the intersection of academia and practice, joining the Change Science Institute allows me to ask big questions and help translate the answers into something real for people. Change doesn’t have to feel abstract or overwhelming, when understood through science, it becomes something we can engage with and learn from.”
What’s Next
The Change Science Institute aims to develop tools, learning programmes, and resources. Users can already engage with a range of self-directed learning tools on its website. These tools are designed to support individuals at all stages of life to deepen self-knowledge and equip people to tackle change more confidently.
To access the CSI modules and tools visit www.changescienceinstitute.co.za. Or you can read the Henley Business School Africa whitepaper here.
4th March 2020, Johannesburg, South Africa. HENLEY Business School Africa has partnered with the Mark Fish Foundation to reach out to farm workers...
Business schools have lost their “viral virginity” and will never go back to working the way they did before Covid-19, says Jon Foster-Pedley, dean...
The prestigious QS Summit on Higher Education: Europe taking place in Dublin this week will look at the forces impacting higher education and explore...
Be the first to know about new our latest newsletter insights