15.MIT – Introduction to the Institute & Beyond  (a.k.a. Technology Tuesdays)

DRAFT – Comments and Criticism Welcome * Joost Paul Bonsen * 29 May 2002 * jpbonsen@alum.mit.edu * 617.930.0415

 

Summary Proposal – 15.MIT is a proposed weekly summer seminar for newly arrived MIT Sloan students in the summer-start programs, introducing them to the “rest of MIT.”  First prototyped for the MOT students in Summer 2001, we hope to expand attendance to interested Sloan Fellows, LFMs, and resident SDMs.  We aspire to help students make the most of their time at the Institute by introducing essential research, education, and community elements at MIT, embracing our emerging technology research agenda, highlighting key aspects of Institute history, showcasing case example technology transfers and MIT spin-off companies, visiting specific labs & researchers, and more.

 

Schedule – We would meet every non-vacation Tuesday during the late afternoon (~4-5pm), and be informally known as Technology Tuesdays.

 

Introducing Elements of the MIT Triad – Research, Community, and Education are the core pillars of the Institute triad identified by The Task Force on Student Life and Learning http://web.mit.edu/committees/sll/  In this spirit, we introduce the Institute through these lenses.

 

Embracing our Emerging Technology Research Agenda – The rest of MIT – especially the Engineering School – is investing heavily in at least five major strategic emerging technology sectors:  Info, Bio, Tiny, Complex Systems, and Developmental Innovations.  Since MIT Sloan alumni will likely play key roles in developing and commercializing these blossoming realms globally, we propose maximally preparing our current students towards such a future.  Thus we weave the following themes throughout the summer:

(1)     Information Technologies – Computing, telecom, & content, from highly replicable to very-complex;

(2)     Biomedical Technologies – Biotech & applied life sciences, from biomolecules to neurotech;

(3)     Tiny Technologies – Materials, devices, & fabrication, from very-nano to ultra-macro in scale;

(4)     Complex Systems– Huge, distributed, non-linear and/or otherwise complicated challenges, from societal infrastructure through environmental systems;

(5)     Developmental Innovations – Techniques & methods for accelerating global technological, economic, and cultural progress throughout poor, developing nations worldwide.

 

Highlighting our Glorious MIT Legacy – Institute alumni have gone on to found, build, and lead major organizations and have dramatically changed the world for the better.  Alas, too few students realize this history.  We will highlight elements of this legacy, including the MIT: Impact of Innovation study published by BankBoston, http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/founders which documents thousands of examples of MIT-related companies:  Analog Devices, HP, Teradyne, Bose, and more recently, Firefly, net.Genesis, WebLine, E-INK, Akamai, Celera, and MolecularWare, to name a few. 

 

Showcasing Live Technology Business Cases – Instead of long-lead time and dated classic HBS-style cases, we would craft and offer more entrepreneurial, but very systematic, live MIT technology business cases, featuring new technology companies or firms undergoing interesting transformations.  We would especially seek companies with a tight MIT affiliation, including technology licensing relationship, which also face compelling technology strategy challenges.  We assemble and offer students Live Case Packets consisting of:

 

We try to pick at least one company in each of the top three strategic emerging technology sectors, Tiny, Info, and Bio.  In the live discussion, we would ask one of the co-founders to highlight company plans & strategy.  This would introduce students to the issues and concerns to be more thoroughly considered in strategy & tech strategy classes.

 

Expected Student Summer Deliverables – We would ask students to finish this summer seminar by identifying (a) their top half-dozen potential global & technology business thesis topics, and (b) to list the top half-dozen aspects of MIT they plan to investigate more thoroughly in the semesters to come.
Proposed Weekly Lineup – Proposed Elements of the 15.MIT Syllabus over Summer 2002 include by week:

 

  1. Introduction:  Overview and Campus Tour – Few words of welcome and a info-rich tour of campus, highlighting labs, alumni, history, amenities, facilities generally, ultimately finishing at the Muddy Charles Pub.

 

  1. Technology Venture Guest Speaker:  Rob Ryan, co-founder & former CEO, Ascend (which both acquired Cascade & was ultimately bought by Lucent for ~$20 Billion.)  Rob is founder of Entrepreneur America http://www.entrepreneur-america.com/ & investor/advisor in dozens of technology startups, including MIT $50K Entrepreneurship Competition alums Silicon Spice, PatientKeeper, MIMIO, & Actuality Systems.

 

  1. Research:  Technology Research Agenda – Introduction to the Info, Bio, and Tiny strategic thrusts in the engineering school and the media arts at MIT.  Summary of major labs and research initiatives.  Highlights of recent discoveries and emerging technology themes.
  2. Education:  MIT Educational Opportunities – Introduction to the disciplines throughout MIT.  Special emphasis on class offerings in the rest of MIT, including a Sloan sampler, highlighting the suite of offerings in the b-school.  We would bring forth the student feedback and survey data and class rankings.
  3. Community:  MIT History, Ethos, and Community – Overview of MIT history, technology invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship.  Special emphasis on business influences, BankBoston study, Roberts data, Hsu data.  Ideas on how to make the most of time at MIT.  Emphasizing the extracurriculars, e.g. TechLink, MediaTech, HealthTech, and other Institute resources to take advantage of.

 

  1. LiveCase1 / Software:  Omniguide, SightPath, Ember, Virtual Ink, Newbury Networks, ArsDigita
  2. LiveCase2 / Wetware:  Neurometrix, MicroCHIPS, MolecularWare
  3. LiveCase3 / Hardware:  Lilliputian, Surfacelogix, MicroCHIPS, E-INK, Nanotechtonics
  4. ? LiveCase4 / Messyware:  AstroVentures
  5. ? LiveCase5 / Everywhere:  Low-Cost Eyeglasses, Medical Incubator, Selco Solar Electric

 

  1. IP Strategy:  Build case for Intellectual Property Strategy, read MIT Technology Review IP survey pieces, chat with Editor Bob Buderi, visit with MIT Senior Lecturer Joe Hadzima &  IP Vision
  2. Opportunity ID:  Brainstorming session around new technology venture ideas, business implications of emerging technologies
  3. Intrapreneurship & Entrepreneurship:  Overview the fundamental creative ethos, opportunity space, and the essence of entrepreneurship.  The entrepreneurial outlook is relevant regardless of where working, what experience, for others or self, etc.

 

Visiting Institute Labs – In parallel, in coordination with the graduate student club, TechLink, http://web.mit.edu/techlink we will organize LabTours.  Ideally, we have the lab director speak followed by a tour of the facilities for all.  Realistically, we might have a key researcher highlight lab work and have space in a tour for one or two dozen.  We try to pick labs in at least the top three strategic technology sectors, Tiny, Info, & Bio: