ZLOG students at MIT: International Exchange during January

The Independent Activities Period (IAP) is a special four-week term at MIT that runs from the first week of January until the end of the month. For students and faculty, IAP provides a break from the normal academic routine of the fall and spring semesters, offering opportunities for creativity and flexibility in teaching and learning. For students, this is the time that students from Global SCALE centers in Cambridge, MA, U.S.A., Zaragoza, Spain, and Bogota, Columbia, convene on the MIT campus and participate in a variety of learning activities. SCM and ZLOG students will spend the final week of the IAP period at the Zaragoza Logistics Center in Spain.

This time at MIT features a simulation game, LINKS, which is designed to simulate the decision-making processes faced by managers of international supply chains. Students from each program are assigned to 5-6 person teams and assume management responsibility for an international high-technology manufacturing firm. They compete with the other teams in a virtual marketplace to achieve the highest score. To complement the competition, students had sessions on emotional intelligence and creating high performance teams.

During January, students also have opportunity to interact with MIT researchers. Speakers from various research labs on campus give them a peek behind the curtain to learn about technologies that impact supply chains. Students then participate in a poster session where they share the mid-stream results of their thesis projects with MIT researchers and visiting executives from over 20 companies.