MIT Reports to the President 1998-99
The Technology and Policy Program aims to be the educational leader in the field. With about 140 students on campus and about 700 graduates, it is the largest of its kind in the world. With its extensive international connections with other universities, it is building a network of relationships to define the field.
As of December 1998, the Technology and Policy Program became part of the new Engineering Systems Division within the School of Engineering. This presents a significant institutionalization of the Program, which no longer will be an interdepartmental program, but will henceforth be part of a department-like structure with faculty on a permanent rank list.
The Technology and Policy Program sponsors both a Master of Science and the interdepartmental Technology, Management and Policy doctoral program. This year's class for the Master of Science in Technology and Policy included about 50 students. Scott Hassell, currently at Rand in Washington, was the winner of the 1998 Award for Best Thesis in Technology and Policy for his thesis directed by Prof. David Marks. The winners of the Alumni Award for Leadership and Excellence in Technology Policy were the organizers of the TPP Student Colloquium series, Patrick Steinemann and Carlos Martizez-Vela.
The interdepartmental doctorate in Technology, Management and Policy enrolls about 25 students in their 2nd to 5th year of graduate school. Five participants received their doctorates this year and proceeded to positions in the government, industry and academia (University of Maryland and New York University).
The Technology and Policy Program internship program is an integral part of the TPP curriculum. The internship program is funded by major corporations and by individuals who generously support public service internships, including the US Congress, the Massachusetts legislature and non-profit organizations. This third year of activity placed interns in major policy centers in the United States Government, in international institutions, with major corporations and consultants, and in Europe and Asia.
The Technology and Policy Program actively maintains relations with many universities and educational agencies, particularly in France, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. Professor Nicholas Ashford spent his sabbatical with the Technical University of Delft (Netherlands), and Dr. John Ehrenfeld was on a Fulbright Award as a visiting professor at the Instituto Superior Técnico of Portugal.
More information about this Program can be found on the World Wide Web at http://web.mit.edu/tpp/www/.
Richard de Neufville
MIT Reports to the President 1998-99