Tech Futures Lab offers innovative one-year Masters

Media Release: 15 November 2016

Tech Futures Lab offers innovative one-year Masters

Professionals, leaders and entrepreneurs will next year be able to study for an innovative new Masters of Applied Practice – Technological Futures, through Tech Futures Lab.

Enrolments are now open for the one-year specialisation which has three start dates for 2017 of 7 February, 6 June and 7 November.

Tech Futures Lab and its partner Unitec Institute of Technology co-designed the flexible and intensive specialisation where candidates will learn to link successful business decisions with technological advancement and innovate in a shifting business landscape.

“This new one-year Master degree is a game-changer for New Zealand,” said Frances Valintine, founder of Tech Futures Lab. “It provides the ability to learn and apply new knowledge, skills and technologies that increase productivity and provide a distinct competitive advantage with a uniquely global perspective.

“This degree is an extension of the working environment. Candidates will develop and innovate with the support of highly skilled technical experts, with wrap-around support from industry and academic mentors. The degree is designed for immediate impact back into industry, in the shortest time possible.

“The projects undertaken are defined by candidates during their first 12 weeks of study and may be developed to integrate back into an existing business, as an innovation or service designed for a new business opportunity, or start up.”

Masters’ candidates will customise for approval their own assessment criteria, and then map how they’ll meet it over a work-based research project.

Industry partners will bring insight, experience and advice to help refine and tweak concepts, deploying an agile approach to development and a collaborative culture of creation and refinement. These partners include Air New Zealand, ASB, Datacom, SkyCity, IAG, Xero, Microsoft and IBM.

“Our partners will help candidates gain in-depth understanding of relevant emerging technologies, how to forecast disruption and lead through unprecedented change,” said Unitec’s Chief Executive Dr Rick Ede.

“Candidates will develop specialist knowledge in new and emerging disruptive technologies such as automation and robotics, data-science, machine learning, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.

“The degree is designed for those who want to harness the opportunities emerging technology presents, including those who want to re-engineer their careers.”

ENDS

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