OVERVIEW
To remain competitive in today’s world, countries must
harness the power of emerging technologies to foster economic growth. Leaders
in key decision-making roles require a deep understanding of the technology,
infrastructure, and systems that are critical to improving economic conditions
and driving prosperity. Underlying these systems is the foundational role of
engineering. Recent development such as the launching of the Queen Elizabeth
Prize for Engineering continue to demonstrate the significant role that policy
makers are putting on innovation as a force in economic transformation.
In response, Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Executive
Education offers Innovation for Economic Development, a program aimed at
helping leaders enhance global competitiveness, boost the economy, and preserve
the environment. Led by a cadre of renowned authors, leading researchers, and
distinguished professors who are experts in their fields, the program examines
strategies and measures for aligning technology and innovation trends with
development policy objectives. Moreover, the program helps leaders design and
implement innovation policies for economic development. You will emerge well
equipped to apply global lessons and capitalize on technology developments
within your own organization or country.
Learning objectives:
- Explore
the role of innovation systems, industrial clusters, engineering and technology
in economic transformation
- Examine
the evolution and impact of emerging technologies in fields such as information
and communications technologies, genomics, energy, and nanotechnology
- Identify
how entrepreneurial ecosystems contribute to value creation and capture
- Align
technological developments with policy objectives
- Design
and implement innovation policies for economic development
- Identify
strategies for strengthening science and innovation advice as well as diplomacy
The program is led by Faculty Chair Calestous Juma (@calestous), Professor of the Practice of International Development at Harvard Kennedy School and author of The New Harvest: Agricultural Innovation in Africa (Oxford
University Press, 2011). He was a member of the selection jury of the
Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering. Professor Juma is currently
writing a book on engineering for global development, and is a regular contributor on Harvard Kennedy School's Science, Technology, and Globalization blog.
“As a senior Minister of Government in a developing country, I apply what I learned at the Harvard Kennedy School to almost all aspects of my day to day work. The program was the quality you would expect from the world’s leading university, and though challenging, laid the foundation for me to develop a broader appreciation of how STI policy steers a country’s development and affects the lives of the people we represent. Together, the lecturers, the opportunity to network with high caliber participants from around the world and of course, the intellectual stimulation from just being within the Harvard community made this program one of my best investments to date.”
-Hon Phillip Paulwell, Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, Jamaica