The Global IT Management (GITM) course is in my opinion one of the important courses that together with Strategic Management of IT course needs to be part of a master program in information systems/information technology. In 2003 I have designed the Global IT Management course (7.5 ECTS) that has run for the first time in 2004 in the master programs in Internetworking and Engineering and Management of Information Systems at KTH. The GITM course is one that is looking to enhance students’ knowledge in information and communications technologies (ICT) support in globalization and companies that operates in a global business environment. In 2004 I had 72 students enrolled in the Global IT Management course and in the next years the students’ number have continue to increase. Now in 2010 I have 86 students enrolled in GITM course that are coming from different master programs at KTH and Stockholm University plus exchange students.
From the experience of former students in Global IT Management course we have found that for most of them this course was an opportunity and challenge to enhance their knowledge in the IT Management area and develop new skills about how to deal with different cultures by working in multicultural teams. As a result many students have mentioned me that the GITM course have been a usefully experience for them. In GITM course the students are doing team projects using as case studies different global companies. The team project is an important assessment component in this course and in 2008 I have performed a research about the contribution of the team project on students’ learning in GITM course. In case you are interested in the results of this research please read my paper published in Springer Communications in Computer and Information Science, 2010, Volume 111, 28-40, http://www.springerlink.com/content/jq774062hn586554/
During the last 7 years I have continuous improved the GITM course in his content and organization. I have also tried in all these years to bring different guest speakers from IT industry in GITM course in order to share their experience with my students. As a result of the positive impact that this course has had in enhancing students’ knowledge in IT Management a former KTH student Robin Zimmermann (who has worked at IBM Sweden and now he is working at Accenture) has offered me the opportunity to establish a collaboration with IT professionals from IBM. The colaboration with IBM will consists in guest lectures offered in GITM course 2010 and in co-supervision of master theses in different topics of IT Management. Furthermore I hope that the present collaboration with IBM will be extended also for the Strategic Management of IT course given in Spring 2011.
In case you are having an interest in the content of the lectures given by IT professionals from IBM in Global IT Management course 2010 you are welcome for attending them. The dates, hours and topics of the lectures are following below.
2010-11-08, 9.00 – 9.45, Sal B, Forum, Abhishek Sinha (IBM India), Lecture: Organizing IT
2010-11-15, 14.00 -14.45, Sal A, Forum, Abhishek Sinha (IBM India), Lecture: IT strategy
2010-11-17, 9.00 – 9.45, Sal B, Forum, Abhishek Sinha (IBM India), Lecture: Outsourcing and Offshoring of IT
2010-11-19, 14.00 – 14.45, Sal B, Forum, Jan Pettersson (IBM Sweden), Lecture: IBM Global Solution Architecture Repository