17 November, 2022
The MIT Immersion Program allows select QUT MBA students to build their digital leadership and entrepreneurial capabilities. This year, fifty students across our MBA suite had the opportunity to learn from global experts at MIT Sloan School of Management.
This exclusive opportunity allowed our students to study at one of the world’s leading universities, covering a semester’s worth of classes in two weeks.
“I had always hoped I’d get the opportunity to study at a world-class institution such as MIT, so when QUT and MIT launched their partnership and global program, I knew I had to enrol,” MBA associate Ashley Cacciola shared.
“MIT Sloan School of Management is one of the top business schools in the world and the calibre of their faculty, facilities and relationships was evident from the first session we had.”
This sentiment was echoed by other classmates, with Executive MBA associate Kyle Stockman explaining that the opportunity to study at MIT was the capstone of his Executive MBA journey.
“I wanted to challenge myself and grow beyond my traditional strength areas and develop my skills requiring improvement,” he said.
“The mindset of a disciplined entrepreneur prior to the MIT Immersion Program was relatively foreign to me, and so I wanted to have a growth mindset and challenge my preconceived notions about entrepreneurship and what skills are required to become an effective one.”
MIT Immersion Program students with MIT Sloan faculty at their graduation.
What did the immersion program involve?
For two weeks, our students attended lectures presented by MIT academics designed to increase their skills in entrepreneurship, digital transformation and innovation.
“Over the program we were required to work in small groups to develop an idea from inception through to a conceptual minimum viable product with the intent to provide a 6-minute pitch to a board of MIT faculty members,” Stockman explained.
“During the two weeks the QUT cohort were able to immerse ourselves within MIT’s social activities and the American culture, including attending a Boston Red Sox game.”
Fellow Executive MBA associate Cath Daly explained that the program’s first week focused on entrepreneurship, with the second week concentrating on global leadership and digital transformation.
“The lectures were interactive sessions where the lecturers encouraged us to share our own thoughts and experiences within groups and the class,” she said.
“In addition, there were various networking events, and showcases we could attend such as the MIT delta v.”
As part of the program, our students took part in MIT's delta v.
Building entrepreneurial skills
At the Delta V showcase, QUT students were exposed to MIT students’ pitches. This complemented our students’ own pitches to MIT’s academics.
For Executive MBA student, James Cooney, the focus on entrepreneurship was a highlight of the program.
“Before we arrived at MIT, we were asked to come up with an idea for a project – essentially our own start-up,” he said.
“Our group work was using the learnings from the lectures and applying entrepreneurial frameworks to bring our start-up ideas to life, before pitching those ideas to a faculty group from MIT Sloan School of Management on our last day.”
These skills will be transferrable to James’ work at Rio Tinto, with a key takeaway for him being that entrepreneurship is a learned skill.
“It’s just a matter of having the right mindset and being open to new ideas, even if you’re an employee within a corporate context,” he said.
“I’m really looking forward to using the entrepreneurial frameworks to better frame solutions to challenges within my own workplace.”
For Executive MBA associate Rica Lacey, the opportunity to build her entrepreneurial skills was a highlight of the program.
“I had never considered myself to have the ability to become an entrepreneur, but after being immersed in the entrepreneurial environment it has opened the possibility to explore this further in the future,” she said.
“I learnt quite a lot about myself during this immersion, having been removed from my job and my family. It was a time for self-reflection and planning for the future.”
Our MBA students took a class from MIT Sloan Distinguished Professor of Management, Catherine Tucker.
Newfound career skills
The skills that our associates developed at MIT will be immediately transferable in their workplaces, across a range of industries and roles.
Anita West, an Executive MBA associate and Process Re-engineer Lead at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, explained that the two weeks have given her career a competitive advantage.
“Applying the skills I have learned and the entrepreneurial mindset to my career will give me a competitive edge in my leadership style by encouraging colleagues to follow their passions, leading teams to innovate and be creative, and enabling experimentation and continuous learning,” she said.
Business Development Manager at Boeing Defence Australia, Ashley Cacciola, also shared that the program has provided an in-depth understanding of innovation, entrepreneurship and business strategy.
“Having exposure to such esteemed academics and their insights into modern business practices has given me confidence to apply those lessons in my day-to-day work in my organisation,” she said.
“I know I will be using many of the strategy tools and techniques I learnt through the MIT immersion in my career for years to come.”
Take part in our MIT Immersion Program
Are you interested in experiencing the MIT Immersion Program for yourself? Find out more about our programs below and speak to our Program Managers:
MBA
Executive MBA Brisbane
Executive MBA Canberra