The concept of a virtual institute bringing higher education and industry together was developed by Belgian Gert Van Mol in the early years of 2000.

In 2007 he suggested The Wall Street Journal to incorporate the Institute’s concept in their circulation marketing department as an innovative line-extension. Dow Jones, the mother company of The Wall Street Journal, accepted the proposal. Between 2007 and 2011 the Institute carried the name The Wall Street Journal Future Leadership Institute. Gert Van Mol became Managing Director of the Institute. Through The Wall Street Journal Future Leadership Institute 41% of all copies of The Wall Street Journal Europa would be sold by end of 2011.

In 2011 – 2012 The Wall Street Journal Europe decided to move away from education, to stop publishing the newspaper all together in 2017. Meanwhile The Future Leadership Institute decided to steer an independent course as of 2012, focusing on the curation of scientific research.