Course contents

Overview:The purpose of this course is to allow the students develop an overview to recent theory but also to relevant challenges and global concerns. The course combines economic, social and environmental sustainability aspects and the UN SDGs with managerial and entrepreneurial issues on international business triggering the students to rethink and critically address ways forwards. Students develop skills and competences to tackle complex real-life problems  in collaboration with others while facilitating their entrepreneurial mindsets and sense of purpose. The variety of theory application settings develops global mindsets and fosters students’ sensitivity on diverse aspects international business.

Year and period: M.Sc. 1−2 (suitable for postgraduates), 26−30 June 2023

Teacher: Maria Elo, Associate professor, University of Southern Denmark

Hannes Velt, Post-doctoral Researcher, LUT University

Person in charge: Hannes Velt, Post-doctoral Researcher, LUT University

Aims and Learning outcomes:

• To be able to critically reflect and rethink theoretical assumptions and ways of doing business in different contexts
• To develop an understanding on complex, multi-stakeholder and transboundary challenges 
• To develop skills and competences needed for sustainable and legitimate managerial and entrepreneurial action
• To enhance entrepreneurial innovativeness and -thinking, global mindsets and collaboration skills for problem solving across contexts

Content and mode of study: This teaching approach builds on an intensive, collaborative four-day seminar format (total of 30 hours) that is complemented with a priori readings (30 hours), group exercises, a co-created workshop day with virtual group problem solving hackathon. The course combines interactive lecture parts during the first two days that conclude with a group exercise. After the intensive course, the students complete an individual essay as a final written assignment (20 hours).

The first day (7 hours) addresses globalization, international migration and shifting capitals. A group exercise concludes on questioning the dominance of the Western/first world lenses in international business and entrepreneurship and assessing more inclusive theories for real-word problems (task: identify impactful theories, present).

The second day (7 hours) concludes with a group exercise that addresses entrepreneurial strategies and international opportunities reflecting the SDGs (task: identify different strategies for international opportunity development in emerging/developing countries).

The third day (8 hours) is a collaborative virtual seminar day that starts with shared lectures by diverse experts on different grand challenges (e.g. geopolitics, population economics, climate change, poverty, inequality, international migration) and research on international business and entrepreneurship. Then, the students mix randomly into Zoom breakout rooms with other international students and develop an analytical canvas with solution models for a selected problem. In the end, they present/share those with all the participants via Zoom screen sharing in the end.

On the last day (8 hours), there are interactive lectures addressing place of business, transnationalism, innovation systems, entrepreneurial ecosystems, business-scapes and institutions. After that, the students join random groups in Zoom to discuss the role of location and regionalism in glocalization and international venturing and investment while comparing two settings: Kingston, Jamaica and Lappeenranta, Finland. While the students engage in the classroom and in their different groups, they need to pay special attention to application of the SDGs in their tasks, starting from self-reflecting their views on inequality, inclusion, decent work and other concerns in line with the triple bottom line thinking. In the presentations and discussions vulnerabilities of e.g. migrants, women, new ventures from below and undocumented talent are introduced and reflected. 

Total workload 80 hours.

Evaluation: Final grade 0-5. Evaluation 0-100 points, consisting of:

• In-class assignments and participation 50 points:

Pre-readings combined with active doing, re-reading, collaboration and production of a case in the classes (including theory hackathon, case solutions, seminar participation, group work, presentation and critical discussions)

• Written assignment 50 points:

A short essay on a selected theme (academic writing, APA refs), highly individual reflection and critical thinking application

Study material: Selected journal articles and book chapters are provided as pre-readings and in-class readings throughout the course. Additional in-depth material is provided by request. The course builds on inclusive learning and uses videos, seminars and other types of materials to support the written sources.

Prerequisites: No formal prerequisites. Previous courses in entrepreneurship, international business and management are beneficial but not mandatory.

Overview: During the course, students will go deeper into MOOC-course contents regarding climate action by participating in a seminar teamwork project.

Year and period: B.Sc., M.Sc., 26−30 June 2023

Teachers:

Pertti Kauranen, Professor, LUT University

Mika Horttanainen, Professor, LUT University

Jarkko Levänen, Associate Professor, LUT University

Alex Rosu, University Teacher

Aims and Learning Outcomes:

• To inspire to find more information about e.g. currently relevant energy / circular economy themes
• To increase awareness of climate change and how one can affect the surrounding environment by one's own decisions & actions
• To enhance understanding of MOOC-course contents through seminar work
• To enhance teamwork and presentation skills for the student

Content:Acquiring advanced information about the following contents through seminar projects:

• Circular economy and waste management including sustainable development goals (SDGs)
• Sustainable design and production
• Power to X

Mode of study:

• Grouping / seminar topic selection (preparation work)
• Introduction lecture
• Additional lectures
• Teamwork based on a chosen seminar topic
• Tutorial sessions with instructors
• Seminars and discussions / peer evaluation

Evaluation: Passed / failed

In order to pass, students should participate in all teaching activities.

Study material:

• Information which can be found from MOOC-courses
• Literature related to seminar topics

Prerequisites: Previous LUT organized Climate Action MOOC-courses (Power to X Modules, Sustainable design and production Modules)

Additional information: Max. 40 participants

Overview:This course unit aims to provide the students with the knowledge of the processes related to the corporate strategic decision making. Since the early 1990’s the global business environment has attracted companies to expand operations beyond national and regional markets. Some companies have succeeded in becoming global players, while the others have struggled, and also failed to make the transition. The course builds on the theoretical foundations of the corporate strategy research. Learning method blends informative lectures with corporate case studies and group work exercises and workshops.

Year and period: M.Sc. 1−2 (suitable for postgraduates), 3−7 July 2023

Teacher: Karl-Erik Michelsen, Professor, LUT University

Aims: The course aims to provide the students with the knowledge of the
processes related to the corporate strategic decision making. Small, mid-size and large companies are constantly looking for opportunities to enlarge and develop operations and conquer new market shares. This requires dynamic capabilities and competences and strategic decision-making processes.

The main objectives of the course are:

1. to inspire students to investigate how companies build competences and how they transfer from local to national and finally to global markets.
2. to increase the understanding of internal and external factors that shape the strategic decision-making process.
3. to equip students with the frameworks that explain why some companies are more capable for succeeding in making transformation and entering to the global markets.
4. to give students practical knowledge on how to study and investigate strategic decision-making processes.

Content: The course builds on the theoretical foundations of the corporate strategy research. The focus is on three case studies of major Finnish corporations (KONE corporation, Vaisala corporation, METSO corporation). The case studies open the complexity of the strategic decision making within a company that explores opportunities to transfer from national into global markets.

The core topics are as follows:

1. How companies move from national into international and global markets?
2. How the strategic decision-making process evolves over time and what are the roles and tasks of corporate institutions (CEO, Board of Directors and Executive team)?
3. How companies recognize opportunities and how they build strategic capabilities and competences?
4. What role technology, innovation and specialization play in the strategic decision-making process?
5. What role tradition and history play in the strategic decision making?

Mode of study:

• Interactive lectures and in-class assignments 30 hours
• Group-work assignments 30 hours
• Workshops 20 hours

Total workload 80 hours.

Evaluation: Final grade 0-5. Evaluation 0-100 points:

• Engagement and activity in lectures 20%
• Workshop activity 40%
• Group-work 40%

Study material:

• Journal articles on the theory of the strategic decision-making process
• Video clips and expert analyzes
• Case study articles
• Magazine, newspaper, and popular journal articles.

All materials will be distributed prior to the lectures, group assignments and workshops. Students are strongly encouraged to prepare before meetings and engage in discussion and learning.

Prerequisites: Previous studies in international business (e.g. Introduction to International Business or International Business Strategy)

Overview:New ideas always lighten up faces. It's already a big thing, but they can – depending on their size and strength – to save a project or a business, to become a device, a poem or a patent, to change life or just to add sparkling moment to it. In the course we teach the tools of systematic creativity, how to think out of the box. We introduce the theory for inventive problem solving, TRIZ, and some other methods. About 150 inventive problems are solved together in (and outside of) the class. The teaching is flipped, blended, problem-based, supported by MOOC (Massive Open Online Course).

Year and period: M.Sc. 1-2 (suitable for postgraduates), 3−7 July 2023

Teachers: Leonid Chechurin, Professor, LUT University, 

Anastasia Chakir, Junior Researcher, LUT University

Aims: After having completed the course, the student should be able to:

• Recognize the role and place of creativity and inventing in innovation process/business, Identify inventive problems in the complex process of product development
• Apply several tools for systematic idea generation (Function modelling, Ideal final result, Function-oriented search, Contradiction analysis, biomimetics)
• Act step-by-step, systematically when creative and out-of-box ideas are needed

Content:

Introduction: creativity, invention, innovation. Creativity obstacles and supporters. Place of creativity in modern economy. Invention and Innovation. Basic institutions of invention: know-how, patent, public good (paper). Thinking inertia and other invention killers. Tools for creativity support and place of TRIZ among them. Biomimetics.

Definition of Function. Function Oriented Search. Axiom of Ideal Final Result in TRIZ. Formulation, examples. Operation time, operation zone.

Invention as contradiction elimination. Engineering contradictions and elimination standards. Altshuller Matrix. Physical contradictions and elimination standards. Separation principles.

About 200 creative problems, case studies, examples and projects are discussed/solved through the course.

The course is proposed to be suitable also for doctoral studies.

Mode of study:

• Before the class: theoretical materials are learnt through interactive videos or texts (about 20h workload)
• In class: discussion on the topic, case studies, activities, small projects to be done in teams or individually (about 40h workload)
• Independent work, reading 21h

Total workload 81 hours.

Evaluation: Final grade 0-5:

• Continues assessment in the class 50%
• Quizzes 20%
• Report on project 30%

Study material: cephei.eu, “Artificial Inventiveness” course, additional materials will be provided in the class

Prerequisites: Preferably, students of engineering major or bachelor’s degree in non-technical studies.

Overview: Learn about the marketing theories and best practices companies use for high technology products and services.

Year and period: M.Sc. 2 (suitable for postgraduates), 10–14 July 2023

Teacher: Sanjit Sengupta, Professor, San Francisco State University, USA

Person in charge: Olli Kuivalainen, Professor, LUT University

Aims: Learning outcomes:

• Distinguish the special characteristics of high technology marketing environment (like the type of innovation, market and technology uncertainties, network externalities) and assess external high technology environments (e.g. relating to competitive landscape, consumer behavior, markets) in global scale.
• Evaluate and justify marketing strategies in high technology
• environments.
• Make marketing decisions in high technology environments. Course aims to provide a deep understanding of the functions of marketing regarding challenges and opportunities in high technology products and markets; assist the participants to understand the virtue and limitations of traditional marketing thinking and tools in emergent high technology markets.

Content:

• Strategy and corporate culture in high tech firms.
• Partnerships and alliances.
• Marketing research in high tech markets.
• Understanding high tech customers.
• Product development and management issues in high tech markets.
• Distribution channels in high tech markets.
• Pricing considerations in high tech markets.
• Advertising and promotion in high tech markets.
• Introduction to new technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and blockchain

Mode of study:

• Lectures and in-class assignments 30 hours
• Preparing for lectures 25 hours
• Preparing for exam 25 hours

Total workload 80 hours.

Evaluation: Final grade 0-5. Evaluation 0-100 points:

• Exam 50 points
• In-class assignments 30 points
• Class participation 20 points

Study material:

• Mohr, Jakki, Sanjit Sengupta, and Stanley Slater (2010). Marketing of High-Technology Products and Innovations. Third Edition. Pearson Prentice Hall. Website: http://marketinghightech.net/
• Assigned reading.

Prerequisites: For summer school students: previous studies in business recommended.
For MIMM degree students at LUT: Internationalisation of the Firm
and Global Marketing, Strategic Global Marketing Management.

Overview:Interdisciplinary problem-based foundations of system modelling, analysis and control course covers both the very basic knowledge on the first days and advanced on the last days. Students learn the methods of analytical and numerical modelling. Get acquainted with the concept of stability and control as applied to systems from very different fields. One of the features is the ability to see and model uncertainties in real systems, understand and use the concept of robustness. We learn how to design robust systems through highly interactive session with MATLAB-Simulink through a number individual and group mini-projects.

Year and period: M.Sc. 1-2 (suitable for postgraduates), 10−14 July 2023

Teachers: Leonid Chechurin, Professor, LUT University

Viktor Dodonov, Junior Researcher, LUT University

Aims: Students gain theoretical knowledge in basic robust control. After completing the course, they are able to desgin mathematical models, including possible system uncertainties, change the system design or choose a controller, that improve robustness (including H_∞). Also, students are able to continue the study of robust control in relation to the scientific field of interest.

Content:
Day 1: Signals, Systems, Stability
Day 2: Feedback, Control
Day 3: Uncertainties, Robustness
Day 4: Optimal and Robust System Design
Day 5: Group Project

Mode of study: Interactive lectures with MATLAB-Simulink window always open. All the structure and teaching materials are in Moodle. The design of the class is what is known as blended learning. Project in groups: each group is given description of an object. Groups select a mathematical model and describe the uncertainties to be considered in this model. Groups suggest control strategies and design controllers. Then each group presents their results.

Evaluation: Final grade 0-5:

• Quizzes 30%
• Classwork 20%
• Group presentation of project outcomes 20%
• Individual course report 30%

References: Pre-recorded lectures.
MATLAB-Simulink project examples and group project work.
K. Zhou, J. C. Doyle, Essentials of Robust Control, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1997.

Prerequisites: Basic knowledge in mathematical modelling and control theory, basic MATLAB and Simulink familiarity (Onramp courses from MatlabAcademy are enough).