Leadership and Innovation in Italy
Participants in the executive short course visit Prato textiles company BESTE.
The Monash University Prato Centre successfully held its first Executive Short Course on Innovation and Leadership in late September, with plans for a second run next year.
Located in Prato, Italy, the Prato Centre provides Monash with a strategic European base for education and research collaborations. The inaugural executive short course aimed to bring together participants from a mix of sectors to learn about and share their views on collaborative innovation.
Facilitator Harminder Singh, who teaches innovation, strategy and management of change at a number of institutions, including the Warwick Business School, led eight participants from academia, medicine, IT, law and arts management.
Through the course, participants explored how innovation determines the future direction of strategy, modes of leadership and organisational structure, and delved into the ethos and theory of innovation. They also learned how to effectively transfer theory into their knowledge base and translate it into increased competitiveness and growth.
Participants also had the opportunity to engage in personalised one-on-one sessions before and after the course with Mr Singh.
The guest speakers included Enrico Banchelli, Managing Director of PIN, University of Florence, and the Hon Mike Rann, Australia’s Ambassador to Italy, San Marino, Libya and Albania, and permanent representative to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation and World Food Programme.
Some highlights of the week-long course included a site visit to BESTE, a Prato-based textiles company, the Uffizi gallery in Florence as well as the Vasari corridor.
Feedback from participants was highly positive, praising the delivery as being a good mix of theory and experience, as well as the flexibility of the course, which was customised for each participant.
To send expressions of interest or to be kept informed of future courses at the Centre, please contact Cathy Crupi (Manager, Monash University Prato Centre) at cathy.crupi@monash.edu.