Summer Leadership Program at MIT-SUTD Generates Excitement

The Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) Global Leadership Program (GLP) has commenced its third year at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), with a weeklong "Leadershape" training program. This unique 10-week program, a partnership between MIT and SUTD, offers a blend of leadership training, engineering coursework, outdoor adventure, and innovative classes.

Thirty students from SUTD and four students from MIT are participating in this year's program. Among them is Maryam Archie, a rising sophomore at MIT, who finds the SUTD GLP exceptional for fostering creative, innovative, and analytical engineers. Archie, particularly excited about the electric water vehicle class, will be in charge of electrical design, potentially shaping her future course in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

One of the new offerings this year, the electric water vehicle class, has sparked interest among SUTD students, who are looking forward to trying new experiences, such as the ceramics class, as SUTD does not have many visual arts offerings. Students will construct vessels using plywood, fiberglass, simple motors, controllers, and other materials.

The partnership between MIT and SUTD aims to create a new university in Asia with the "mens-et-manus" ("mind-and-hand") spirit of MIT. It includes research collaboration, curricular development, teaching fellowships, MIT faculty residencies, and dual masters programs. Daisy Tang, another MIT student in the program, views it as a way to develop as a global leader, emphasizing cross-cultural awareness and competence.

The SUTD GLP will culminate with a boat race at the MIT Sailing Pavilion on August 3rd at 10 a.m. Members of the MIT community are welcome to attend. Interested MIT undergraduates may contact Kate Rhodes at [email protected] for the GLP in summer 2016.

Classes in the program include Technical Writing, Ceramics, Wilderness Engineering, Education Innovation, Architectural Drawing, and the Electric Water Vehicle Design Challenge. Tang is looking forward to accessing the resources at the International Design Center (IDC), including mills, routers, waterjets, laser-cutters, and 3-D printers.

The program also incorporates outdoor adventure, providing students with opportunities to engage in activities such as rock climbing and hiking. This holistic approach to learning is designed to foster well-rounded leaders who are not only technically proficient but also adaptable, resilient, and innovative.

The SUTD GLP is an exciting opportunity for students from both universities to collaborate, learn, and grow, fostering a spirit of global collaboration and innovation.