MIT Sloan launches new international office in Bangkok

The school's expanded presence will broaden opportunities for growth and collaboration for individuals and organizations across the Southeast Asian region

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Aug. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The MIT Sloan School of Management is launching the school's second international office. Officially opening in October 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand, the MIT Sloan Office for Southeast Asian Nations (MSAO) will provide broad opportunities to expand upon educational offerings, action learning, and convening in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.

"The expanded presence of MIT Sloan in the ASEAN region is a great opportunity to have an impact both locally and globally," said Georgia Perakis, John C Head III Dean (Interim) of the MIT Sloan School of Management. "Not only will the MIT Sloan Office for Southeast Asian Nations support ongoing action learning activity for our current students, but it will also allow us to broaden our focus on key areas including climate, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, and the future of work."

MIT Sloan's presence in the ASEAN region will provide additional opportunities for engagement and collaborations with faculty from local universities, companies, and government organizations. These connections will pave the way for seminars, lectures, and annual conferences in the ASEAN region. Some research projects currently underway focus on urbanization and resiliency, water and agricultural challenges, and vaccine availability and tracking.

"MIT continues to grow in the ASEAN region with over 1,900 alumni. Additionally, our faculty and students continue to have many interests that draw them to the region. We are excited to bring together members of the MIT Sloan community across the region," said Kathryn Hawkes, senior associate dean, External Engagement, at MIT Sloan. "This is an opportunity to benefit the future of the region and to build upon the important work already underway and being planned for future academic programming, research, and relationship building."

Since 2002, more than 700 students have participated in experiential learning opportunities through nearly 200 MIT Sloan action learning projects across five graduate-level lab courses, hosted by 96 companies across Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Through these programs, faculty and students convene around topics such as fintech, aging and the economy, and more.

"This is an exciting time for us to open our second international office, following the MIT Sloan office in Santiago, Chile, which serves the entire Latin America region," said David Capodilupo, assistant dean, Global Programs, for MIT Sloan. "As with our Latin America office, we are looking forward to building on existing collaborations with established business leaders and entrepreneurs in the region and engaging with our growing network of ASEAN MIT Sloan alumni and friends."

The new office will enable MIT Sloan to build on activities already established in the region through Global Programs' initiatives such as MIT Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program, Innovative Dynamic Education and Action for Sustainability, and the MIT Sloan Visiting Fellows Program. This suite of educational experiences will continue to have an impact  by strengthening innovation-driven entrepreneurial ecosystems in the region and equipping leaders with the knowledge, skills, and frameworks to transform their collective leadership style.

The MSAO will also work closely with leading academic institutions in the region such as the Asia School of Business, a collaborator in Kuala Lumpur, established with support from Bank Negara Malaysia, and offering students MBA, Executive MBA, and a master's degree in Central Banking programs.

"The MIT Sloan School of Management is uniquely positioned to have a positive impact on the ASEAN region through its world-class faculty and programming," said Chartsiri Sophonpanich, SM '83, SM '84, president of Bangkok Bank. The bank is a donor that has been working with MIT Sloan in the region since 2014. "We see the MSAO as a way to strengthen existing collaborations and build a network of new opportunities that will have an impact across the region."

In addition to Bangkok Bank, other donors — with a mix of gifts and endowed funds — included Indorama Ventures, MQDC, Saha Pathana Inter-Holding Public Company Limited, Siam Cement Group (SCG), and U-Tapao International Aviation Company Limited, among others.

"MIT is engaged in groundbreaking research to address many of the challenges across all verticals of sustainability for the region," said Thammasak Sethaudom, president and CEO of SCG. "We look forward to seeing the impact the new MIT Sloan Office for Southeast Asian Nations will have both here in Bangkok and throughout the ASEAN region."

"We are eager for the opening of the new MIT Sloan Office for Southeast Asian Nations and welcome MIT Sloan's engagement in our region," said Aloke Lohia, group CEO at Indorama Ventures. "In addition to focusing on many of the region's most pressing challenges, MIT Sloan's presence will help to stimulate significant economic impact."

In October, the new MSAO will host several events in Bangkok, including a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new office space, an alumni gathering, and an inaugural conference titled "Beyond Years: The Future of Longevity" that will feature discussions led by experts from MIT and across the ASEAN region on the impacts of extended longevity.

Media Contact: Casey Bayer, bayerc@mit.edu