Article
Key insights leaders need to survive and thrive in the digital age
, Joanna Sinclair
Graduate Diploma in Technology
Seize the Value of New Technologies
Graduate Diploma in Technology equips senior decision makers with the skills and competences needed to use novel technologies, such as artificial intelligence, robotics and cyber security, for driving organizational growth.
The program gives you the chance to deep dive into new technologies through real-life applications, and gain a better understanding of the practice, opportunities, and implications of using these technologies that are transforming your business environment.
By attending the program, you will also be better equipped for leading teams working with technologies, and be able to better lead innovation in your company now and in the future.
Starting
November 7, 2019
Turn new technologies into real business benefits - Your enhanced competence will allow you to find actionable opportunities for streamlining and growing your organization.
Gain insight from the action - You will truly understand the operating logic of emerging technologies from hands-on workshop experience.
Learn from the best experts - Closely supported by our world-class instructors, you will learn the context as well as the latest applications and theory of cutting-edge technologies.
Contents and Schedule
The Graduate Diploma in Technology program consists of eight 2-day modules.
The face-to-face modules with experts and industry speakers are complemented by unique online modules, company cases as well as group and individual assignments during and between the program modules, which will provide immediate benefits for your work and organization.
Module 1: Introduction to Computing and Programming, November 7-8, 2019
Schedule:
November 7-8, 2019
Location: Aalto EE premises in Helsinki
Instructor: Professor Jaakko Lehtinen and Kari Hiekkanen
The first part of the module gives an introduction to computation. What computer really is and how does it work? What is artificial intelligence and what is the role of data?
The second part of the module introduces participants into programming - the modern handicraft. Understanding basic programming and its operating logic gives you knowledge and insight on how computers and digital environments work. You will learn the fundamentals of application development concepts, problem solving skills, and basic programming. This part of the module consists of onsite teaching and exercises after which you can continue programming online with the help of selected Aalto University students.
The purpose of the module is to:
- Give an overview of the basis of digital technologies, computational concepts and programming
- Provide basic understanding and skills in programming with Python
The module includes short lectures and hands-on programming exercises with Python.
Module 2: Data-driven Decision-making, Visualization, and Analytics, January 2020
Schedule: January 2020
Location: Aalto EE premises in Helsinki
Instructor: Professor Juuso Liesiö
Digitalization of business operations has led to a massive increase in the amount of available data. As a result, there is a growing interest in utilizing analytics for leveraging these new data sources to achieve a competitive advantage.
Analytics tools are commonly classified into three categories: descriptive analytics examining what has happened in the past, predictive analytics forecasting what will happen in the future, and prescriptive analytics providing decision recommendations on what courses of action should be taken.
The module provides an overview of the most important tools in prescriptive analytics including mathematical optimization and simulation. These tools are introduced through real-life application examples. The key concepts and functionalities of these tools are analyzed by studying their spreadsheet implementations. The module also introduces approaches for visualizing the results and decision recommendations provided by prescriptive analytics.
The purpose of the module is to:
- Enhance the ability to recognize the types of real-life business decision problems where prescriptive analytics brings added value
- Understand the key concepts and data requirements of prescriptive analytics
- Provide experience in implementing and utilizing prescriptive analytics tools through spreadsheets
The teaching methods of the module include lectures, guest speakers from industry, and assignments carried-out in groups.
Online Course: Artificial Intelligence – Interactive, Dependable and Data Efficient
In this one-hour video online module, you will have an introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Assistant Professor Arto Klami, Associate Professor Mikko Kurimo, and Postdoctoral Researcher Mats Sjöberg.
Module 3: Digital Consumer and Customer Analytics, March 2020
Schedule: March 2020
Location: Aalto EE premises in Helsinki
Instructor: Professor Jukka Luoma and Professor Mika Pantzar
The module covers key trends and phenomena related to digitalization of buying behavior and consumption. The first day of the module focuses on how digitalization opens up new avenues for understanding customers; analyzing societal trends, and examining how different stakeholders view organizations, brands, and ideas. The second day is focused on different analytical approaches to customer data. The approaches range from using customer data descriptively to inform strategic decisions, to incorporating customer data to machine learning models that predict customer attitudes and behaviors and/or optimize and automate organizational decision making.
The purpose of the module is to:
- Understand how customer data is proliferating through digitalization of buying behavior and consumption
- Understand the possibilities and limitations of different analytical approaches to customer data
- Build competencies needed in leading organizations toward greater data-drivenness and customer-orientation
Key methodology in the module is a set of practical exercises that develop skills and understanding needed to build a solid grasp of the possibilities and limitations of data analytics.
Online Course: Software Robotics – the Invisible Workforce
In this video online course, you will be introduced to Software Robotics and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) with Ph.D. Riitta Bekkhus, Professor Esko Penttinen and Jaakko K. Lehtinen, Head of Nordic Intelligent Automation CoE at Capgemini.
Module 4: Digital Architectures, May 2020
Schedule: May 2020
Location: Aalto EE premises in Helsinki
Instructor: Kari Hiekkanen
The module covers modern computer infrastructure, cloud services, and cloud computing paradigm. Participants will learn how to utilize cloud services as a core part of new services and business models and how to deploy simple applications to the cloud.
The purpose of the module is to
- Provide a broad understanding of modern computer infrastructure and what is cloud computing
- Give insight on different cloud deployment models and key technologies
The module consists of lectures, group work, business cases and demonstrations of different cloud services.
Online Course: Blockchain – the First Distributed Trust Technology
In this one-hour video online course, you will learn about Blockchain with Postdoctoral Researcher Janne M. Korhonen, Professor Timo Seppälä, and Professor Liisa Välikangas.
Module 5: Security Reality in the Technological Era, June 2020
Schedule: June 2020
Location: Aalto EE premises in Helsinki
Instructor: Professor Jarno Limnéll
The module covers the key concepts and principles of security, privacy, and ethics in today´s digital environment. Particular attention is paid to three topics: cybersecurity leadership, security as an enabler in today´s organizations and how both privacy and ethics can follow “by design principle” in modern technology. In this module, we also seek answers to a question – what are the emerging security, privacy and ethical challenges in the technological era, which has just passed its infancy.
The purpose of the module is to:
- Understand the reality of security in today´s world and key trends in coming years.
- Understand various privacy and ethical forces in technology, which are affecting business.
- Gain new tools and competencies necessary to face modern digital threats.
The module also includes a visit to central cybersecurity organization in Finland and a simulation exercise on how the organization should act in the crisis situation in order to maintain customer´s trust.
Online Course: Augmented and Virtual Reality – from Reality to Virtuality
In this one-hour video online course, you will learn about Augmented and Virtual Reality with Postdoctoral Researchers Mikko Kytö and Tuukka Takala.
Module 6: Advanced Analytics and Robots: Automation to Autonomy, August 2020
Schedule: August 2020
Location: Aalto EE premises in Helsinki
Instructor: Jaakko Hollmén and Professor Ville Kyrki
The module is divided into two separate parts: Advanced Analytics and Robotics.
Advanced analytics can provide solutions to business problems if recorded past data is available in digital form. Advanced Analytics part of the module looks into both methodological side of advanced data analytics as well as practical solutions through case studies.
Robotics part of the module takes a look at how robots are transforming from industrial automata to autonomous actors. This day covers the nature of robots, their structure, most important technologies, and recent developments.
The purpose of the module is to:
- Understand the different problem types in advanced analytics
- Gain some hands-on experience in selected case studies in advanced analytics
- Understand robots as software-hardware constructs and learn about the robotics engineering process
- Understand robotics as the physical dimension of artificial intelligence
The module consists of lectures, discussions, practical case studies in advanced analytics using modern tools and a group work case on designing an autonomous car.
Module 7: AI, Machine Learning, and Neural Networks, September 2020
Schedule: September 2020
Location: Aalto EE premises in Helsinki
Instructor: Professor Jaakko Lehtinen and Teemu Roos
The module focuses on some of the most revolutionary technological developments of the digital era enabled by Artificial Intelligence (AI). We will highlight the importance of machine learning and neural networks and offer practical insight into building efficient and reliable solutions for corporate needs.
The purpose of the module is to:
- Obtain a comprehensive understanding of AI, machine learning, and other closely related topics
- Identify the use cases of different AI technologies including the benefits and limitations of various approaches
- Gain hands-on experience in AI algorithms and computing platforms suitable for building solid AI solutions
The teaching methods include short lectures, exercises and guest speakers.
Module 8: Technologies, Platforms, and Ecosystems, October 2020
Schedule: October 2020
Location: Aalto EE premises in Helsinki
Instructor: Professor Jaakko Lehtinen and Professor Robin Gustafsson
The module focuses on emergent technological opportunities and the evaluation of their implications, and advancing understanding of how and why digital, platforms and ecosystems change organization, leadership, and strategy of firms and their business.
As a capstone module of the program the purpose is to:
- Provide tools for exploring emergent technological opportunities and evaluation of their implications
- Advance understanding of value creation and capture in the age of digital, platforms and ecosystems
- Advance understanding of leadership and governance in the age of digital, platforms and ecosystems
- Advance understanding of the digital transformation of firms and their business
- Provide tools and frameworks for participants to implement digital, platforms and ecosystems in their organization
The module will include a facilitated interactive capstone workshop on managerial implications of digital technologies for organizations and firms and their business and how to lead adaptation and transformation of firms and organizations to new technologies.
Benefits
This program prepares you to become an ambassador for incorporating new technologies into your organization’s business model and leveraging their potential value, and to discover how individual technologies function to truly understand the optimal way of linking them with your organization's existing operations.
Gain an in-depth understanding of the digital technologies and tools that are transforming your work and business environment
Learn the core concepts and operating logic of the latest technologies and their potential business applications
Discover new ways to create value with current technologies
Get a chance to tap on the expertise of a world-class faculty on your business case and current technology challenges
Develop the ability to track future technologies and their impact on business and organizations
For
The Graduate Diploma in Technology program is designed for top management and senior decision makers with extensive experience in the business but a lack of concrete experience of how latest technologies work.
The program is beneficial for business leaders, who want to understand beyond the buzzwords of what new technologies mean and seek a better understanding of the practice, opportunities, and implications of using the technologies that are transforming their organizations, business competition, and operating environments.
Key Faculty
Jaakko Lehtinen
Jaakko Lehtinen is an Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science at Aalto University and a research scientist at NVIDIA Research. Prior to that, he spent a few years as a postdoc with Frédo Durand at MIT.
Professor Lehtinen is an expert in computer graphics and computer vision, in particular realistic image synthesis, appearance acquisition, and procedural animation.
Kari Hiekkanen
Kari Hiekkanen is Research Manager (Post-Doctoral) at Department of Computer Science at Aalto University. He has extensive experience in various IT Management and Leadership roles in R&D and Management Consulting.
Kari Hiekkanen has over 20 years of experience in combining IT and strategy in various industries. He has a solid knowledge of IT management practices, Enterprise Architecture and IT governance both, as a practitioner and, as an educator. His research interests include Industrial Internet and Digitalization of Industries. Kari Hiekkanen is an expert on Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and Artificial Intelligence.
Juuso Liesiö
Juuso Liesiö is an Assistant Professor of Management Science in the Department of Information and Service Management at the Aalto University
Professor Liesiö is an expert in portfolio decision analysis, robust resource allocation models, and decision-support systems.
Jukka Luoma
Jukka Luoma is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Aalto University School of Business, specializing in strategic marketing.
Professor Luoma is an expert in competitive dynamics, market-oriented strategies, and the use of models and data in organizational decision making.
He has also had visiting scholar positions at the Darden School of Business and McIntire School of Commerce, both at the University of Virginia.
Mika Pantzar
Mika Pantzar is a Professor of Consumer Citizenship in Consumer Society Research Centre at the University of Helsinki.
Pantzar is an expert in big data, large data sets of various forms (human physiology, netnography, social media etc.).
Jarno Limnéll
Jarno Limnéll is a Professor of Practice in Cyber Security at Department of Communications and Networking at Aalto University. He is also the CEO of Tosibox Ltd.
He has been working with security issues for more than 20 years, and he has the profound understanding of the global threat landscape, combined with the courage to address the most complex issues.
Professor Limnéll holds a Doctor of Military Science degree in Strategy from the National Defense University in Finland; a Master of Social Science degree from Helsinki University; and an Officer's degree from the National Defense University. Professor Limnéll has published a comprehensive list of works on security issues. His most recent book is “Cybersecurity for decision-makers.”
Ville Kyrki
Ville Kyrki is an Associate Professor of intelligent machines at Department of Electrical Engineering and Automation at Aalto University.
Professor Kyrki is an expert in intelligent robotic systems and robotic vision with a particular emphasis on developing methods and systems that cope with imperfect knowledge and uncertain senses.
Teemu Roos
Teemu Roos is an Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science, University of Helsinki.
Professor Roos is an expert in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science. He has developed applications of AI in areas such as mobile computing, genomics, epidemiology, quantum physics, and digital humanities.
Robin Gustafsson
Robin Gustafsson is an Associate Professor of Strategic Management at Department of Industrial Engineering and Management at Aalto University.
Professor Gustafsson's research focuses on corporate- and business strategy formulation and strategizing in industry shifts. He is an expert in narrative strategies in nascent industries and markets, platform strategy, and strategy and organization of open research, innovation, and platforms.
Jaakko Hollmén
Jaakko Hollmén is a Teaching Researcher at Department of Computer Science at Aalto University.
Hollmén is an expert in machine learning and data mining, especially their applications in bioinformatics
and environmental time series analysis.