On November 15th-16th, 2015, a team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) visited Alfaisal University for the primary purpose of evaluating a proposed Master of Science program in Engineering & Systems Management. The MIT delegation consisted of the following:
- Olivier de Weck (professor in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the MIT Institute for Data, Systems and Society (iDSS), as well as Co-Director of the KACST-MIT Center for Complex Engineering Systems (CCES))
- John Williams (professor in the MIT Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the MIT Institute for Data, Systems and Society (iDSS), as well as Director of the MIT Geospatial Data Center)
- Abel Sanchez (professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the MIT Institute for Data, Systems and Society (iDSS), as well as Executive Director of the MIT Geospatial Data Center)
- Anas Alfaris (Director of the Joint Centers of Excellence Program (JCEP) at KACST, Co-Director of the MIT-KACST Center for Complex Engineering Systems (CCES), as well as Co-Director of the KACST-Boeing Decision Support Center (DSC))
- Adnan Alsaati (Deputy Director of the Joint Centers of Excellence Program at KACST as well as Deputy Director of the KACST-MIT Center for Complex Engineering System).
The mission of the Master of Science in Engineering & Systems Management is to provide multi-disciplinary study and research opportunities involving faculty and students, leading to enhanced career opportunities for the graduates as well as contributions to the industrial diversification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the development of a knowledge-based society.
The key attribute which the graduates of the program will exhibit is the ability to analyze, synthesize and evaluate information, solve real-world decision problems, and effectively perform engineering and management tasks for successful execution of engineering projects.
During the course of the two-day visit, the MIT team had the chance to meet with various constituencies, namely senior students, engineering faculty, the Director of Quality Assurance and Accreditation, the Associate VP of Research and Graduate Studies, members of Alfaisal University’s executive leadership, and members of various College of Engineering industry advisory boards.
In addition to their participation in the program evaluation, Prof. Williams and Dr Sanchez gave a talk entitled: “21st Century Digital Learning Models”, which was very well attended by the participating members of the College of Engineering Advisory Boards along with Alfaisal University personnel.
