SKEMA and MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics to train future supply chain leaders

For many years, SKEMA Business School has been providing supply chain and procurement education through its highly reputed Master of Science (MSc) Global Supply Chain Management & Procurement program. Today, the school is going one step further by joining forces with a leading American institution in supply chain education, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Transportation & Logistics (MIT CTL).

In the field of supply chain management, this unique agreement also marks the first education collaboration between MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics and SKEMA. MIT CTL created and delivers The MITx MicroMasters Program in Supply Chain Management that will now be utilized as a core curriculum component of SKEMA’s MSc Program.

Aiming at a cohort of 75 to 80 participants, the MITx MicroMasters Program in Supply Chain Management will be delivered from the start of the 2022 academic year to SKEMA students at the Lille (France) and Suzhou (China) campuses, and from 2023 to students on the Raleigh campus in the United States, as part of SKEMA's MSc Global Supply Chain Management & Procurement program.

Networking to achieve superior learning outcomes

The MITx MicroMasters Program in SCM consists of five online courses that cover the fundamentals of supply chain management. These asynchronous online courses delivered by MIT instructors will be augmented by synchronous instruction taught by professors at SKEMA. The SKEMA MSc program is comprised of four courses over the academic year: sustainability, new technologies (blockchain, big data, AI), market volatility, and soft skills (leadership, negotiation, communication). SKEMA has also recruited 12 field experts who will regularly share their experiences with the class.

Upon completing the joint program and passing the comprehensive final exam, students will receive a SKEMA MSc degree along with the MITx MicroMasters Program in SCM credential. Eligible learners will also become affiliates of the MIT Alumni Association. They will be able to interact and network with fellow credential-holders, hold an Infinite Connection account on the MIT Alumni Association website, and gain access to MIT library journals available through JSTOR and EBSCO.

"Supply chain management is a rapidly evolving sector, particularly in view of the boom in e-commerce since the COVID-19 health crisis: industry 4.0 based on the total digitization of processes, environmental compliance in transport and optimization of the last few kilometers, new productivity, and customer satisfaction requirements. There is currently a strong demand for graduates who are able to create value for their company and aspire to have a positive impact on the world," explains Thorsten Makowski, director of the MSc Global Supply Chain Management & Procurement program at SKEMA.

"By combining the highly specialized business analytical skills provided by MIT CTL with courses that mixed  business trends and leadership skills, we offer our students a rare global opportunity to realize their dreams. They will become leaders and pioneers in this field of the future," adds Patrice Houdayer, SKEMA's Vice President of Programs, International and Student Life.

"Supply chains have faced unprecedented challenges and disruptions in recent years, thus the demand for trained supply chain professionals is on the rise. Our MITx MicroMasters Program in Supply Chain Management provides the supply chain expertise and tools required to succeed in this changing environment. Composed of five high quality, grad-level online courses, our program proposes a learning journey from analytics to strategy.", points out Eva Ponce, Executive Director of the MITx MicroMasters Program in Supply Chain Management.

"The future of education is hybrid. Online and in-person courses should be combined to provide students with the best of both worlds. Online education allows people to learn anytime and anywhere, while in-person education enhances networking and soft skills development. SKEMA’s students will benefit from this hybrid format!", highlights Inma Borrella, Academic Lead of the MITx MicroMasters Program in Supply Chain Management.