Supply Chain Frontiers issue #60
The global MIT Supply Chain and Logistics Excellence (SCALE) network has two new member centers: the Luxembourg Centre for Logistics and Supply Chain Management (LCL) and the Ningbo Supply Chain Innovation Institute China (NCIIC).
“We are delighted to welcome LCL and NCIIC to the SCALE family. Strategically located in Europe and Asia, these two centers will become world class hubs for supply chain education and research, and bring new opportunities for international collaborations across the SCALE network,” says Yossi Sheffi, Director of the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics, (MIT CTL) and the SCALE Network.
LCL and NIIC are developing master’s degrees modeled after the MIT Supply Chain Management Program, which grants the Master in Logistics and Supply Chain Management degree. There are also plans for a doctoral degree as well as a portfolio of professional courses for executives, symposia, short courses, and extended on-site events and activities to reinforce each center’s connections with corporate partners.
The two new centers also bring new capabilities and ideas to the Network.
LCL is part of the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance at the University of Luxembourg. The university is only 13 years old, and one of its key strengths is the international nature of its programs.
“Luxembourg is a small country, so we have to be global. In fact, as the country’s only university we are ranked number two in the world on internationality according to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings,” says Rainer Klump, President of the University of Luxembourg.
In addition, the country is located at the heart of Europe, and one of the government’s strategic goals is to establish Luxembourg as a major supply chain hub. The LCL has an important role to play in achieving this goal.
There are also opportunities to leverage existing areas of expertise in the region. Luxembourg is a long established financial center. Embedding the LCL in the university’s Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance, brings financial and legal know-how to the SCALE Network.
“As financial and legal experts, we keep a close eye on the regulations that govern finance, and we can apply this knowledge in the supply chain field,” says Stefan Braum, Dean at the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance. Sustainability is another area where this expertise can be harnessed; in relation to taxation issues that have an impact on the viability of sustainable supply chains, for example.
“We are looking forward to creating synergies with our SCALE partner centers, and developing supply chain educational programs that reflect the Network’s global reach,” President Klump says.
NSIIC also brings a global perspective to the Network – but as one of the world’s most important cargo handling facilities. The Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, located on the coast of the East China Sea in Zhejiang province, surpassed Shanghai in 2012 to become the largest port in the world in terms of cargo tonnage, with 744 million metric tons of volume that year. The government of Ningbo has partnered with MIT CTL to create NSIIC.
“Ningbo is already a global leader in cargo logistics, and the new institute will be a global vanguard of supply chain innovation and education. The continual flow of supply chain ideas and leaders will enable companies to further expand and diversify the economic growth of our region,” says the Mayor of Ningbo, Lu Ziyue.
NIIC will open in the fall of 2016 with its first master’s students matriculating in the fall of 2017. It will be an independent, stand-alone, degree-granting academic institution established under Chinese law. The building that will house the center has already been identified, and the plans for renovations are under way.
“China is an essential component of nearly every global supply chain, and nearly one billion tons of goods flow through Ningbo each year. Positioning a research institute at that crossroads of global commerce provides our faculty and students with a unique perspective,” says Yossi Sheffi, Director of MIT CTL and the SCALE network.
MIT CTL is working with leaders in Luxembourg and China to recruit top faculty from around the world for LCL and NSIIC.
“In essence,” says Sheffi, “our SCALE Network educational model mirrors the global structure of the multinational companies that hire our graduates.”
The addition of Luxembourg and China to the SCALE network enriches that model, and reinforces the role of the SCALE network as a vital resource for companies worldwide.
More information on the SCALE Network can be found at http://scale.mit.edu.