MIT ILP Upcoming Events

07/06/09: Reinforcement Learning and Simulation-Based Search in Computer Go

07/06/09

07/06/09: David Silver
University of Alberta

Host: Leslie P. Kaelbling
Host Affiliation: MIT CSAIL

In this talk I will introduce the temporal-difference search algorithm, a new approach to search that is able to generalise between related states, and efficiently updates the values of those states. The temporal-difference learning algorithm acquires general domain knowledge from its past interactions with the world. In contrast, the temporal-difference search algorithm acquires local knowledge that is specialised to the current state, by simulating future interactions with the world. Both forms of knowledge are then combined together in the Dyna-2 architecture.

I will present the results of these algorithms in the game of 9x9 Go, using the program RLGO. Using temporal-difference learning, with a million binary features matching simple patterns of stones, RLGO learnt the strongest static evaluation function without prior domain knowledge. Using temporal-difference search with the same representation produced a dramatic improvement: without any explicit search tree, and without prior knowledge, RLGO outperformed Monte-Carlo tree search and UCT. When combined together using the Dyna-2 architecture, RLGO outperformed all handcrafted programs, traditional search programs, and traditional machine learning approaches.

07/09/09: Building, Leading, and Sustaining the Innovative Organization--Executive Education

07/09/09

07/09/09: Where do you get the breakthrough innovative ideas you need to create successful competitive products for the future?

At the MIT Sloan School of Management, where we have long been recognized as a worldwide leader in the field of innovation, our new two-day executive program on Building, Leading, and Sustaining the Innovative Organization draws on powerful MIT Sloan research to offer a set of strategies for growing your company in the face of changing markets, technologies, and consumer demand.

In this unique session on identifying and bringing successful ideas to market, you'll learn about the steps you need to take as to drive strategic innovation in the organization, including how to:

* Get the right mix of people and skills you'll need to generate innovative ideas in a more timely manner
* Develop the processes required to support these people
* Build cultures that encourage innovative behaviors
* Decide which ideas are the right ideas in which to invest, and which are the new business opportunities you ought to pursue

Our faculty of senior experts and MIT researchers also will help you to understand:

* Tactics for dealing with the internal politics and resistance to change that can threaten innovation initiatives and early-stage developments
* Techniques you can use to build innovation streams
* Processes for collecting competitive intelligence, forecasting technology change and gathering information on user needs
* Methods for identifying better innovations more quickly, including the lead-user method for discovering breakthrough products, services and strategies, and toolkits for user innovation that enable users to design their own mass-customized products and services.

Tuition: $2,600

Full program details at:
http://mitsloan.mit.edu/execed/coursedetails.php?id=623

07/13/09: IT for the Non-IT Executive--Executive Education

07/13/09

07/13/09: Today, staying ahead of the competition means staying up-to-date on IT. Information technology has become a strategic asset that strengthens organizational decision-making and competitive advantage. IT penetrates an organization's products, processes, and services, and affects how it is structured and managed.

IT for the Non-IT Executive helps technical and non-technical managers identify critical strategic issues in today's environment of rapid technological change. They learn what it means to be an information-based organization, and how IT-enabled processes add value to their organizations. They learn where IT is going, where it fits into their organizations, and how to govern it.

Through case studies, research reports, hands-on exercises, and interactive discussions with industry experts, participants learn

* how to align IT with their organizations' business goals
* how to communicate those goals
* how to set business and technology priorities based on those goals

Participants come away from IT for the Non-IT Executive with a senior manager's perspective on the most important IT issues of the day. And they leave with a clear sense of their own role in streamlining company performance through technology.

Tuition: $2,600

Full program details at:
http://mitsloan.mit.edu/execed/coursedetails.php?id=625

07/13/09: Relativity, Gravity and Cosmology [8.06s] --Course

07/13/09

07/13/09: Learn the fundamentals of Einstein's theories of relativity and explore the most recent breakthroughs in gravitation theory and cosmology. Designed for a general audience, this course offers insightful views into many of the most exciting and controversial topics in modern physics and astrophysics.

Find full course details at:
http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/relativity_gravity.html

or click here for our full list of courses.

07/13/09: From Technology to Innovation: Putting Ideas to Work [17.50s] -- Course

07/13/09

07/13/09: Both public and private organizations are concerned with innovating to keep pace with a fast changing environment. Yet attempts to innovate are usually disruptive, cause internal dissension, and often fail. This course, taught by MIT experts and affiliates, explores failures and successes to identify strategies that can sustain significant innovation.

Find full course details at:
http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/technology_innovation.html

or click here for our full list of courses.

07/13/09: Advances in Controlled Release Technology: Polymeric Delivery Systems for Pharmaceuticals, Proteins and Other Agents [20.02s] --Course

07/13/09

07/13/09: Review recent advances in the field and assess the prospects of future developments. Topics include delivery methods and applications, with emphasis on controlled release in the pharmaceutical and medical fields. Regulatory and patent considerations will be addressed.

Find full course details at:
http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/controlled_release_technology.html

or click here for our full list of courses.

07/13/09: Supply Chain Network Design [PI.19s] -- Course

07/13/09

07/13/09: In today�s dynamic business environment, many companies are expanding, contracting, or otherwise redesigning their supply chain networks. This course addresses practical applications of optimization models to supply chain network design including case studies in global manufacturing, distribution center location, and post-merger consolidation.

Find full course details at:
http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/supply_chain_network_design.html

or click here for our full list of courses.

07/13/09: Information Quality for Executives [ESD.IQEs] -- Course

07/13/09

07/13/09: This course aims to give participants capability and skills to understand and solve information quality problems, to deliver the benefits of improved information quality, and to apply state-of-the-art research to discover ways to increase the value of data warehouse initiatives, reduce costs associated with poor-quality data, and more. You will learn information quality principles, methods, and techniques, and successful implementations.

Find full course details at:
http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/information_quality_executives.html

or click here for our full list of courses.

07/13/09: Design and Analysis of Experiments [14.37s] -- Course

07/13/09

07/13/09: After quickly reviewing the modest statistical background useful for the material in the course, we emphasize the designing, carrying out and analyzing of experiments in the areas of science, engineering and management. We describe several real-world examples and include illustrations of analysis using several software packages. Our goal is to have you be able to carry out detailed experiments immediately upon your return to your company.

Find full course details at:
http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/design_analysis_experiments.html

or click here for our full list of courses.

07/13/09: Energy in the Context of Climate Policy: Strategic Challenges and Opportunities [ESD.128s] -- Course

07/13/09

07/13/09: Overview of energy technologies and fuels and their prospects in a world with greenhouse gas restrictions. Course will also review the current state and likely future direction of climate policies. Focus is on technical and economic tradeoffs between alternative technological pathways for energy, and the use models for such analyses.

Find full course details at:
http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/energy_climate_policy.html

or click here for our full list of courses.

07/13/09: LAI Lean Academy� Course [PI.23s] -- Course

07/13/09

07/13/09: Participants receive a hands-on introduction to lean and six sigma fundamentals for manufacturing, engineering, office, and supply chain applications. They learn how to eliminate waste to create value for all enterprise stakeholders. A Lego� enterprise simulation helps participants apply tools and concepts in a team situation. No previous Lean Six Sigma background is expected.

Find full course details at:
http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/lean_academy_short_course.html

or click here for our full list of courses.

07/13/09: Present and Future Internal Combustion Engines: Performance, Efficiency, Emissions, and Fuels [2.61s] -- Course

07/13/09

07/13/09: A thorough understanding of how engines function is required to meet stringent new emission and fuel economy standards, and to address the future changes to fuels. This course provides a technical review of the IC engine's operating characteristics for practicing engineers.

Find full course details at:
http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/internal_combustion_engines.html

or click here for our full list of courses.

07/13/09: Leadership Skills for Engineering and Science Faculty [PI.61s] -- Course

07/13/09

07/13/09: Human-centered strategies for leading effective teams in academic, engineering environments. Using interactive role-playing activities, self-assessment instruments and group discussions, you will develop a repertoire of techniques for addressing issues that commonly arise within engineering research groups and teaching staff.

This course is also being offered in June 2009.

Find full course details at:
http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/engineering_leadership_skills.html

or click here for our full list of courses.

07/13/09: Fundamentals of Real Estate Finance

07/13/09

07/13/09: Course Overview

This course introduces the basic concepts and �nuts and bolts� tools used by real estate developers, investors, and lenders to analyze the financial feasibility of real estate developments. Designed for those without a financial background, this course integrates finance theory and taxation principles with conventional real estate practices.

The course will begin by explaining property cash flows and how to calculate investment returns, including the preparation of a development budget and property income statement, forecasting Net Operating Income, and how to project net proceeds from sale. Following these topics the course moves into how to evaluate financing structures and the impact of taxation. This segment will specifically look at understanding how much money a lender will lend on a project and why, as well as how to properly calculate taxable income and taxable gain-on-sale.

Although no prior background in finance is required, reading materials and case studies will be sent in advance for attendees to prepare. Attendees are strongly encouraged to bring a financial calculator.

Course Objectives

* Understand the financial infrastructure underpinning real estate development

* Learn how financial drivers such as taxes, returns, and debt motivate stakeholders

* Identify the combination of factors that determine financial feasibility

Companion Courses

Innovative Strategies for Accessing Capital and Fundamentals of Loan Workouts are designed to follow this cornerstone course, allowing attendees to develop specific knowledge on a timely finance topic.

Who Should Attend

The course is aimed at those with a general interest in real estate who are looking to understand how real estate finance works.

Instructor

Tod McGrath is a Lecturer in the MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning. At MIT he has taught an introductory finance course in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning and the core course in real estate finance at the Center for Real Estate. He is also President of advisoRE, LLC which assists clients with real estate strategy, analytics, and negotiation.

07/15/09: Managing Complex Product Development Projects--Executive Education

07/15/09

07/15/09: Managing complex product development projects is a massive integration effort at many levels. Product and production plans must be integrated into components, components into subsystems, subsystems into systems and systems into quality products.

The traditional project management does not provide the kind of detail required today to both accelerate product development and improve product quality in the 21st century. Managing Complex Product Development Projects presents a revolutionary design structure matrix (DSM) that MIT researchers use to determine which tasks within each phase of a complex project should or should not be performed concurrently. The DSM method is already applied in a number of corporations.

MIT researchers developed the DSM modeling approach to learn how to solve problems facing large-scale projects. After field-testing DSM in dozens of organizations and industries around the world, they found that it successfully streamlined the development of a wide array of projects including:

* complex automotive components systems and subsystems
* aerospace configuration design
* concept development and program roll-out
* electronics and semi-conductor development
* equipment and machine tool development
* plant engineering
* construction projects

Through lectures, exercises, interactive discussions, and teamwork, participants in the program learn how to use DSM to map complex design procedures into simple arrays. Most important, they learn how to solve four key problems that confound complex product development project management: iteration, overlapping tasks, architecture, decomposition and integration.

In Managing Complex Product Development Projects, participants learn to:

* better document existing procedures
* reduce complexity
* share data with confidence
* facilitate project flow
* expose constraints and conflicts
* design iteration strategically

Tuition: $2,600

Full program details at:
http://mitsloan.mit.edu/execed/coursedetails.php?id=634

07/15/09: Demand-Driven Supply Chain Management [PI.20s] -- Course

07/15/09

07/15/09: Data-driven models for supply chain management enable its coordination with demand management at all levels of planning � strategic, tactical and operational. Case studies show how to identify plans that integrate supply chain, marketing and sales decisions to maximize net revenues and value.

Find full course details at:
http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/supply_chain_management.html

or click here for our full list of courses.

07/15/09: Innovative Strategies for Accessing Capital

07/15/09

07/15/09: Course Overview

This one-day seminar will explore a spectrum of innovative strategies being employed to help finance real estate projects in the current challenging economic and credit climates. Participants will look at some of the tools and resources being used to raise equity and debt as well as discuss how to best position projects to optimize access to these resources in a competitive market.

The course will begin with an overview of the existing capital markets from the perspectives of national institutional lenders as well as regional and local banks, providing an understanding of the context and challenges of the current markets. The course will then explore some of the financing strategies and tools being employed to finance real estate projects and related operating businesses. These tools include the use of tax credit enhancements, public-private partnerships, and the use of equity private placement and EB-5 funds in new and innovative ways.

The second half of the day�s program will focus primarily on case studies which will allow participants to understand how these tools work in the real world, providing the practical knowledge needed to consider using these innovative approaches.

Course Objectives

* Understand more fully the current real estate capital markets and the associated challenges and opportunities

* Identify a range of practical tools and resources that are being used to effectively raise equity and debt for real estate projects and associated operating and development companies

* Develop a deeper practical understanding of the details and inner workings of several of these tools and resources

Companion Course

This course is designed to follow Fundamentals of Real Estate Finance, allowing attendees to build upon the base knowledge acquired in the cornerstone course.

Who Should Attend

This course is aimed at a wide range of individuals from junior level professionals to experienced real estate practitioners.

Instructor

David Cohan is a graduate of the MIT Center for Real Estate and has worked with a variety of real estate investment companies, including Copley Real Estate Advisors and Beacon Capital Partners. Mr. Cohan is an expert on the New Markets Tax Credit program, closing tax credit deals valued at $200 million and with a total asset value of about $1 billion.

07/16/09: LAI Lean Healthcare Academy� [PI.22s] -- Course

07/16/09

07/16/09: Participants receive a hands-on introduction to lean and six sigma fundamentals for healthcare applications. The course will focus on concepts and tools for eliminating waste and improving quality in healthcare processes. A clinical simulation will apply concepts and tools. Course is targeted toward healthcare professionals and administrators with little or no experience with lean thinking.

Find full course details at:
http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/lean_healthcare_academy.html

or click here for our full list of courses.

07/16/09: LAI Lean Engineering Seminar� [PI.211s] -- Course

07/16/09

07/16/09: Lean Six Sigma principles and tools for product development engineering are treated. The course will focus on strategies for selecting the right product, tools for eliminating waste through value stream mapping, and organizational and implementation strategies. Prerequisite: PI.23s or equivalent background expected. Find full course details at:
http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/lean_engineering_seminar.html

or click here for our full list of courses.

07/19/09: Product Design, Development, and Management--Executive Education

07/19/09

07/19/09: Product Design, Development, and Management presents product development as an information processing system that can transform customer needs into successful product designs and manufacturing plans. Participants focus on decisions that product development teams must make about markets, concepts, and products, and how to make those decisions in a fast-paced development environment.

During an intense week of lectures and hands-on practice sessions, they learn world-class best practices for:

* structuring product families, architectures, and portfolios
* understanding customer needs, and translating those needs into winning product concepts that have realistic technical specifications
* mapping and implementing the product development process
* designing products that function properly, even under a wide range of operating conditions
* implementing concurrent engineering;
* organizing teams and the product development process;
* managing uncertainty during the product development process;
* facilitating communication and collaboration within product development teams; and
* accessing and integrating an organization's internal capabilities.

Tuition: $7,950

Full program details at:
http://mitsloan.mit.edu/execed/coursedetails.php?id=582

07/20/09: Nanomaterials for Biological and Pharmaceutical Technologies [10.01s]--Course

07/20/09

07/20/09: Overview of how nanomaterials such as nanoparticles, nanocapsules, micelles, microemulsions, liposomes, nanoporous materials, and polymer multilayers can be prepared, stabilized, surface-functionalized and assembled for applications in biotechnology, biomedicine, and pharmaceuticals. Specific applications include biosensing, drug delivery, imaging, bioseparations, biocatalysis, biomolecular assembly, and molecular diagnostics.

Find full course details at:
http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/nanomaterials_biological_pharmaceutical.html

or click here for our full list of courses.

07/20/09: Synthetic Biology [20.80s]--Course

07/20/09

07/20/09: An introduction to the rigorous and reliable engineering of biological systems. Topics include foundational tools and technical advances that enable the rational design of genetically-encoded systems, including computational tools for bio-CAD. Early application of these approaches to genome, protein and pathway redesign, to metabolic engineering and to cell-programmed therapeutics will serve as the point of departure for many of these topics. Course includes one day of hands-on lab work.

Find full course details at:
http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/synthetic_biology.html

or click here for our full list of courses.

07/20/09: Data Networks [6.20s]--Course

07/20/09

07/20/09: Ideal for practicing engineers and researchers looking to apply advanced design and performance evaluation techniques to digital networks. Covers communication subnetworks; and transport, internetwork, network, data link and physical layers. Learn how these layers operate and interact.

Find full course details at:
http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/data_networks.html

or click here for our full list of courses.

07/20/09: Multicore Programming [6.05s]--Course

07/20/09

07/20/09: Multicores are bringing about a paradigm shift in programming. The course exposes students to fundamental issues in the design of concurrent programs and to the techniques necessary to make effective use of multicore machines. It combines lectures and classwork to gradually enhance students' intuition and technique.

Find full course details at:
http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/multicore_programming.html

or click here for our full list of courses.

07/20/09: Nanostructure Fabrication [6.75s] -- Course

07/20/09

07/20/09: Surveys methods of lithography, microscopy, and pattern transfer in the sub-100-nm to sub-10-nm domain for next-generation and beyond-next-generation nanostructure and nanodevice fabrication. Explains fundamental optics and materials science for processing at these lengths scales. Latest relevant research in the area is discussed and practical topics, relevant to in-the-lab work, are presented.

Find full course details at:
http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/nanostructure_fabrication.html

or click here for our full list of courses.

07/20/09: Data and Models in Engineering, Science, and Business, Part I [12.15s] -- Course

07/20/09

07/20/09: A course for anyone wanting to fit data to models. Topics include linear least squares, non-linear least squares, singular value decomposition, sensitivity analysis, experiment design and parameter error estimation (Jackknife). Introduces principles leading to rapid application of methods. Includes pre-programmed computer exercises.

Find full course details at:
http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/data_models1.html

or click here for our full list of courses.

07/20/09: Geological Carbon Sequestration: Science, Technology, and Policy [1.724s] -- Course

07/20/09

07/20/09: This course covers the scientific, technological, and regulatory aspects of carbon capture and storage (CCS), with an emphasis on the geological storage component. It provides an understanding of the role of carbon sequestration in the climate change mitigation portfolio, site selection and evaluation of risk, and the role of policy in establishing a market and business opportunities for CCS. It will be of interest to scientists, engineers, managers and policy makers working in the area of energy, and especially those involved in strategies for climate change mitigation.

Find full course details at:
http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/geological_carbon_sequestration.html

or click here for our full list of courses.

07/20/09: Challenges of Leadership in Teams [10.10s] -- Course

07/20/09

07/20/09: Develop the skills and techniques you need to succeed and lead in today's team-based organizations. Experts in both business and psychology will address team dynamics, leadership style, and other key issues.

Find full course details at:
http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/challenges_leadership.html

or click here for our full list of courses.

07/20/09: Advanced Real Estate Development

07/20/09

07/20/09: Course Overview

A fundamental tenet of real estate development is that a project�s return should reflect its risk. The objective of this course will be to look at the qualitative and quantitative elements of risk and return in relation to the development process and explore ways to use this understanding to structure deals.

The course will begin by reviewing the stages of the development process and key decision points. With the development process as a backdrop, the course will explore risk and uncertainty, building a definition of risk that will guide course instruction and discussion. This section will also include a look at the traditional causes of risk and how to identify and mange these risks. A discussion of new risks associated with the current economy will also be explored.

The course then shifts to answering the question, how does the risk profile of a proposed development process factor into establishing appropriate rates of return? In this section the course will explore a range of tools for determining returns, including simulation and real option methodology; tools which allow developers to identify and quantify uncertainty and flexibility. In the concluding section, the course will evaluate deal structuring and ways to layer debt and equity based on the risk and return profiles.

Course content will be delivered through lectures, case studies, and industry guest speakers, with small-group work to reinforce learning. Reading materials and case studies will be sent in advance for attendees to prepare.

Course Objectives

* Identify key decision points in the development process and determine how the risk profile of development evolves in relation to these decision points and differs from the profile of a project

* Identify tools for a better understanding of the return on development projects

* Understand how to use the risk and return analysis to structure deals

Companion Courses

This course is designed to precede Strategic Thinking for Commerical Real Estate and Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Real Estate Professionals to create an executive level series of companion courses.

Who Should Attend

Students are assumed to understand the real estate development process and to have a solid understanding of real estate finance. Advanced Real Estate Development is intended to be interactive in nature and students are encouraged to share real life examples that may inform class discussion. This course is targeted to real estate professionals who have significant experience in the industry, and are expected to share real world examples.

Instructor

Tony Ciochetti is the Thomas G. Eastman Chair, Chairman, and Director of the MIT Center for Real Estate where he is also involved in teaching topics in real estate finance and development. He regularly consults on behalf of investment banks, rating agencies, institutional clients and development companies. Prior to his academic career, Dr. Ciochetti spent 12 years in the private sector in the areas of commercial real estate development and consulting.

07/22/09: Data and Models in Engineering, Science, and Business, Part II [12.16s] -- Course

07/22/09

07/22/09: Part II of a course for anyone wanting to fit data to models. Topics include grid search, random (Monte-Carlo) search, simulated annealing, genetic algorithms, neural networks and parameter error estimation. Introduces principles leading to rapid application of methods. Includes pre-programmed computer exercises.

Find full course details at:
http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/data_models2.html

or click here for our full list of courses.

07/22/09: Strategic Thinking for Commercial Real Estate

07/22/09

07/22/09: Course Overview

Tailored to the specific nature of the real estate industry, this course provides the fundamentals of effective strategic planning and implementation. Whether taken as a stand alone course or in conjunction with Advanced Real Estate Development and/or Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Real Estate Professionals, participants will take home templates and ideas that can be used immediately.

The course begins by looking at the real estate, construction, and finance value system, describing the players, the structure of their industries and what structural issues they face. With this value system as a backdrop, the course then addresses vertical integration, including the roles firms should play in this system and which roles they should buy or partner. In the next section, the course delves into market definition and segmentation, asking: Where and how can your business compete?

The course then shifts to looking at the attractiveness of industries and segments and understanding in which segments can a business develop a sustainable advantage. To conclude, the course looks at execution, resource allocation, and accountability. In this segment a discussion of how to create budgets, distribute effort, and measure effectiveness will also be explored.

This course is taught using a combination of readings, case studies, lectures, and individual exercises. Participants will take home templates and ideas that can be used immediately.

Course Objectives

* Acquire a strategic planning foundation specific to leading a real estate industry business

* Become familiar with a toolkit of techniques for leading the business planning process

Companion Courses

This course is designed to follow Advanced Real Estate Development, moving attendees from the deal level to the company level. Additionally, this course leads into Innovation and Entrepreneurship for the Real Estate Professional by providing a platform for identifying areas of opportunity and focus in existing businesses which then can be magnified through the lens of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Who Should Attend

This course is aimed at real estate professionals with management responsibilities.

Instructor

John Macomber has taught Strategic Management, Strategic Leadership, E-Business, Real Estate Sustainability and similar courses in the MIT Civil Engineering department and at the Center for Real Estate for over 20 years. His professional experience includes leadership of real estate development, general contracting, real estate services, and venture funded Internet services firms in the real estate industry. Mr. Macomber is currently a member of the Finance faculty at Harvard Business School, where he teaches Real Estate and Development courses in the Harvard MBA program and in Executive Education at Harvard and MIT.

07/22/09: The Kervaire invariant as surgery obstruction, II

07/22/09

07/22/09: Ben Wieland

07/23/09: Innovation + Entrepreneurship for Real Estate Professionals

07/23/09

07/23/09: Course Overview

The Center for Real Estate has joined forces with the Sloan School�s Entrepreneurship Center to offer a course designed to provide real estate professionals within a framework for generating innovation and entrepreneurship within a new enterprise. This course is targeted to real estate professionals who have significant experience in the industry and can apply the concepts presented in class to their experience.

The program begins by defining innovation and entrepreneurship, including the characteristics of a successful innovation or entrepreneur. It then moves into a discussion of the �conceiving and birthing� process of a new endeavor before delving into the importance of sales, marketing, and pricing. The course then shifts towards looking at business plans that generate money and success as well as how to finance your enterprise. As a final component, the program provides insights into the use of soft skills such as leadership and human resources management.

Participants will engage with course content through lectures, case studies, guest speakers, discussions, and group projects.

Course Objectives

* Use lessons learned in high technology to understand the process and critical success factors of entrepreneurship and innovation

* Discuss the application of these principles to the real estate industry

* Generate �out of the box� thinking for participants regarding new opportunities in real estate and how to approach them

Companion Courses

This course is designed to follow Advanced Real Estate Development and Strategic Thinking for Commerical Real Estate to create an executive level series of companion courses.

Who Should Attend

This program is designed for individuals with significant experience in the real estate industry who want to take the principles of innovation and entrepreneurship and apply them to their practice.

Instructor

Bill Aulet has over 25 years of experience in almost every aspect of technology business operations and financing. He works with students and start up companies to build strategies and operating plans that will create sustainable value as well as working with large companies and governments to improve their entrepreneurial vitality and innovative capabilities. Mr. Aulet is a MIT Senior Lecturer and Entrepreneur in Residence at the MIT Entrepreneurship Center.

07/27/09: Developing a Leading Edge Operations Strategy--Executive Education

07/27/09

07/27/09: Enterprises are becoming increasingly global, with supply chains and manufacturing processes spanning oceans and continents. To navigate the global marketplace, senior managers need to know how to plan the most efficient use of material resources, as well as manage more complicated global networks and optimize service and quality.

They need to be able to create a dynamic operations strategy that fosters:

* continuous, incremental improvement
* groundbreaking innovation, and
* competitive market advantage
In this two-day program, senior managers will learn new approaches to operations strategy that were developed at MIT and based on best-practice research conducted among the world's leading manufacturing companies.

Led by senior School faculty, Developing a Leading Edge Operations Strategy offers an analytic view of operations and strategic insights into:

* vertical integration and the factors that affect strategic decisions
* outsourcing, supplier power and trends in supplier management
* global facility network strategies and the future of supply chain management
* strategic implications of process technologies
* capacity and risk management, including capacity factors, supply and demand management and the role of services
* how to survive in a world of outsourcing, and how to decide whether and where to go

The program draws on real issues confronting manufacturing and service companies today and provides a strategic framework for making the kinds of major decisions every company faces:

* how do we deal with globalization?
* should we outsource?
* how far should we go with outsourcing?
* where should we be?

Program Topics

* The Principles of Operations Strategy
* Vertical Integration: Factors That Affect Decisions
* Outsourcing and Supplier Management
* Facilities strategy and globalization
* Risk Management: Supply and Demand
* Analyzing Service Operations
* Globalization Implications: Surviving in a World of Outsourcing

Tuition: $2,600

Full program details at:
http://mitsloan.mit.edu/execed/coursedetails.php?id=632

07/27/09: Strategic Marketing for the Technical Executive--Executive Education

07/27/09

07/27/09: As a non-marketing manager, your understanding of marketing concepts and the role marketing plays in your organization is critical to the success of both technical and product development projects.

Yet, many non-marketing managers do not have a working knowledge of marketing principles or the marketing strategies and tactics that are necessary to make good technical decisions.

The MIT Sloan School of Management is ideally placed to teach these skills to professionals like you. Much of the teaching and research of our award-winning Marketing Group focuses on issues that are relevant to the challenges facing non-marketing professionals. We offer a unique opportunity to understand the science of marketing and to make a more informed contribution to the role that marketing plays in the success of your organization.

Our two-day program, Strategic Marketing for the Technical Executive, provides a new perspective on the relationship between marketing and technology. It is drawn from our popular and highly-rated MBA course on strategic marketing and shows how you can leverage marketing concepts and research to better influence the outcomes of product development and project management.

Led by Professor Duncan Simester, the head of the MIT Sloan Marketing Group, you will take part in a series of interactive lectures, case examples and hands-on, small-team exercises that will help you to understand:

* how to anticipate and take advantage of surprising inconsistencies in the customer decision process
* how to evaluate market attractiveness and select target markets
* how to manage the tradeoff between risk and information in the product development process
* the keys to concept testing
* a structure for thinking about the design and management of distribution channels
* why pricing decisions are complex and how they get made
* how to manage an advertising campaign

Tuition: $2,600

Full program details at:
http://mitsloan.mit.edu/execed/coursedetails.php?id=630

07/27/09: Pandemics and Bioterrorism: From Realistic Threats to Effective Policies [17.60s] -- Course

07/27/09

07/27/09: The threats of bioterrorism and global pandemics pose new challenges for public health, law enforcement and national security agencies. Yet agencies have deeply embedded professional norms and organizational cultures, which resist change. MIT experts and affiliates explore the obstacles to implementation and strategies to overcome them.

Find full course details at:
http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/combating_bioterrorism.html

or click here for our full list of courses.

07/27/09: Crystallization Science and Technology in the Pharmaceutical Industry [10.40s]--Course

07/27/09

07/27/09: Intensive overview of crystallization theory and practice. Emphasis on problem solving and the application of simple modeling tools for enhanced efficiency. Topics include polymorphism, batch and continuous crystallization, scale-up, and molecular modeling. Cutting edge approaches to crystallization in the pharmaceutical industry will be discussed and evaluated in addition to case studies.

Find full course details at:
http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/crystallization_science_technology.html

or click here for our full list of courses.

07/27/09: Systems Architecture and Engineering with SysML and Object-Process Methodology [6.18s] -- Course

07/27/09

07/27/09: Combines theoretical foundations of systems engineering and architecture with practical hands-on to instill solid understanding of systems architecture and design principles. Foundations are presented formally using SysML and Object-Process Methodology, while student teams model a system of their interest using a systems engineering and lifecycle support software environment.

Find full course details at:
http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/systems_architecture.html

or click here for our full list of courses.

07/27/09: Fermentation Technology [20.48s]--Course

07/27/09

07/27/09: This course emphasizes the application of biological and engineering principles to problems involving microbial, mammalian and biological/biochemical systems. The aims of the course are to review fundamentals and provide an up-to-date account of current knowledge in biological and biochemical technology with special emphases in mammalian cell systems. The lectures will emphasize and place perspectives on biological systems with industrial practices.

Find full course details at:
http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/fermentation_technology.html

or click here for our full list of courses.

07/27/09: Introduction to Network Coding [6.33s]--Course

07/27/09

07/27/09: Network coding is a new area of networking, in which data is manipulated inside the network to increase throughput, reduce delay, and improve robustness. This field has recently found commercial applications in content distribution, peer-to-peer design, and enabling high-throughput wireless networks. The goal of this class is to provide participants with the theoretical and practical tools necessary not only to understand the field of network coding, but also to conduct independent, innovative work in the area. The curriculum reflects this mixture of theoretical foundations and practical approaches.

Find full course details at:
http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/network_coding.html

or click here for our full list of courses.