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Supply Chain Frontiers issue #44

As primary suppliers of supply chain talent, educators have always had to keep pace with industry needs. But the task has become much more difficult in today’s increasingly volatile business climate. The MIT Global SCALE Network is meeting this challenge with flexible academic programs that expose students to the latest supply chain practices and the rigors of globalization.

The professional profile of a supply chain manager has gone through many changes over recent years (see A New Class of Professionals). And just as the supply chain that delivers products has become more agile in order to compete effectively, the personnel supply chain that delivers talent has to be nimbler in a highly changeable job market.

“We are constantly introducing new courses and reshaping existing ones to make sure that our programs are aligned with industry needs,” says Dr. Bruce Arntzen, Executive Director, SCM program, MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics (MIT CTL), in Cambridge, MA, USA. “As a member of the Global SCALE Network, we also go a step farther by shaping the supply of talent on global and regional levels.”

In this sense, the SCALE Network is unique, and as more centers are added to the community its reach will extend even farther. Here are some ways in which SCALE Network centers are staying at the forefront of supply chain education.

Global Awareness

Students in the Supply Chain Management (MIT CTL, USA), the MIT Zaragoza Master in Logistics & Supply Chain Management (Zaragoza Logistics Center, Spain), and the Graduate Certificate in Global Logistics & Supply Chain Management (Center for Latin-American Logistics Innovation, Colombia) programs spend time studying in other SCALE Network centers as part of their courses. The same facility will be available to Master of Science in Supply Chain Management (Malaysia Institute for Supply Chain Innovation, Malaysia) students when this program starts in August 2012.

A key feature of these inter-center exchanges is that the experience builds skills in international collaboration.

Individuals learn how different nationalities behave in management situations, says Dr. Cláudio Barbieri da Cunha, Associate Professor, Center for Innovation in Logistics Systems, University of São Paulo, Brazil. One of his students participated in a supply chain simulation game at MIT CTL in the United States, for example. “Our student was able to learn from interactions with other team members, particularly how to manage conflicts that arise when people from different cultures and backgrounds work together,” he says.

GCLOG student Bárbara Selim echoes this theme. “It’s a great experience to be able to connect with people from all over the world, and to attend lectures with people from different companies,” she says.

These connections are made possible by the diversity of SCALE Network educational programs. For example, between 2005 and 2012, students from 45 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America attended the ZLOG program in Zaragoza, Spain. Approximately half of these students earned their initial university degree in engineering, one-third in business or economics, and the rest from a variety of disciplines including science and the humanities.

Research-Driven Knowledge

SCALE system students have the opportunity to work on thesis research projects in collaboration with center corporate partners (see A Win-Win Strategy for Latin America). Enterprises from across the world sponsor research on every facet of supply chain management. In addition to solving real-world problems, the students gain the experience of working in multinational and multidisciplinary teams.

The projects are presented at a special event on the MIT campus in the United States. In January 2012, for example, 49 student groups from across the SCALE Network presented their projects to visiting companies during a poster session (see Updates item Prize Posters).

Reformulating Skill Sets

The supply chain graduate programs offered by SCALE Network centers are modeled on the top-ranked Supply Chain Management curriculum that was introduced by MIT CTL in 1998.

Each center has adapted this curriculum to its own regional needs (see MISI’s Asian Master Class), and the mix of studies undergoes constant change to reflect the latest market demands. Take, for example, the increasing need for “soft” people skills. A relatively recent addition to the SCM program in the United States is MIT CTL’s Supply Chain Innovation and Leadership Series (SCILS). The lecture series brings executives to the MIT campus to share their insights into supply chain leadership.

Innovate to Stay Ahead

Centers in the Global SCALE Network are continuously adjusting their programs in tune with market changes. For example, ZLC has developed relationships with business schools to give MBA students the option to specialize in supply chain. ZLC has partnered with four leading business schools – IE Business School in Spain, INCAE in Costa Rica, the European Business School in Germany, and Sabanci University in Turkey – to offer four dual-degree programs combining a Master of Engineering in Logistics & Supply Chain Management with an International MBA.

Teach the Teachers

Just as SCALE Network students benefit from taking classes in different countries, faculty members enrich their teaching skills and research collaborations by spending time in other schools within the network.

In Latin America, CLI has developed a network of 23 academic partners. This growing community of universities – each one selected for its expertise in supply chain management – spans the region. In addition to cooperating on research projects, these institutions exchange students and meet annually to explore ways to improve educational standards in the supply chain field. One of the aims is to “teach the teachers” by sharing their expertise and ideas.

Visiting other centers to gain new knowledge about teaching methods and curricula is “fundamental to improving our teaching,” says Dr. Cláudio Barbieri da Cunha, Associate Professor, Center for Innovation in Logistics Systems, University of São Paulo, Brazil.

He teaches undergraduate, graduate, and executive education courses at the university. About 80% of the course content remains more or less the same, but Barbieri da Cunha changes the remaining 20% from year to year to reflect the knowledge that he has gained during his visits to other schools. For example, following a visit to MIT CTL, “based on our interactions at MIT, we introduced new aspects of green logistics to our courses,” he says.

The MIT Global SCALE Network will continue to evolve along with the fast-changing supply chain profession. MIT CTL in the United States, for example, is looking at new ways for companies to sponsor student scholarships at the center.

“We believe that the SCALE Network’s international mix of programs and students is uniquely positioned to offer the supply chain community the educational options it needs to compete in global markets,” says Arntzen.

For more information on Global SCALE Network center educational programs please contact the following people:

Graduate Certificate in Global Logistics & Supply Chain Management (Center for Latin-American Logistics Innovation, Colombia)

Master of Science in Supply Chain Management (Malaysia Institute for Supply Chain Innovation, Malaysia)

MIT Zaragoza Master in Logistics & Supply Chain Management (Zaragoza Logistics Center, Spain)

Supply Chain Management (MIT CTL, USA)