Global Entrepreneurship Lab: Asia-Pacific

Calendar

SES #	TOPICS	OVERVIEWS	KEY DATES
1	Stylized view of entrepreneurship	The class will begin by looking briefly at entrepreneurship in emerging markets: characteristics, idiosyncrasies, and opportunities. We’ll then give a brief overview of entrepreneurship in the Asia-Pacific region and go over the course structure and requirements.
2	The role of government in entrepreneurship: Singapore	Some governments see entrepreneurs as the future, others as a nuisance. Singapore gives us an example of an active, even directive development policy; was it right for the country, and for entrepreneurs? What is the right evolving role of the government?
3	Mixer	Today will be an informal mixer, in which students can (a) create G-Lab teams with people of similar interests, and (b) talk to the faculty and advisors about projects. Bring your laptop to class.
4	National government, international technology: China	Internet technology is changing economy, society and politics profoundly but some of the changes are running into some headwinds. The most celebrated case of conflict between internet and politics is Google in China. We study and debate the relevant issues in this session.
5	The pressure to expand: China; Team dynamics	Do Western models apply to Asian markets? How should a start-up think about a potentially gigantic domestic market? We’ll look at a 2008 G-Lab case from China, in which firms wrestle with huge potential and severe constraints. We’ll then transition to a discussion on team dynamics. What challenges have teams faced and how can your team learn from their experiences? Part of this class will center on developing constructive dynamics within your teams. These exercises help you to spot – and deal with – inter-personal issues before these get out of control.	Team project applications due
6	Intellectual property rights (IPR): India	Some start-ups think obsessively about protecting their IPR. Others infringe it. We’ll discuss how much IPR matters, and how government policy can use IPR to promote or hinder entrepreneurship.
7	National advantages in a global industry: India	Continuing the discussion from Ses #6, we’ll look at how a specific G-Lab client expanded into the global pharmaceutical industry, and how the IPR regime affected its growth.
8	Investing in Indonesia	Many Asia-Pacific countries are eager to lure business operations from around the world. But does foreign direct investment (FDI) make sense, if investors’ and governments’ interests conflict? For foreign investors, Indonesia has posed some particularly challenging situations.
9	International expansion: Indonesia	Many G-Lab hosts have a strong vision of social entrepreneurship, economic empowerment, and national and international development. Poverty and malnutrition in Indonesia provided fertile ground for a very successful 2009-10 G-Lab project.
10	Working in a G-Lab project	Using a G-Lab case from 2004-05, we’ll look at G-Lab projects from the inside, focusing on issues of process, client management, and team dynamics. We’ll also review the match acceptance process and how you should begin working with your host company.
11	Faculty meetings with teams	Team meetings with faculty mentors.
12	When bad teams happen to good people	A cautionary tale from a past G-Lab project.	Draft project work plan and Open Mike slide due
13	Introduction to library research; Open Mike
14	Open Mike; Medical information		Company sign-off on work plan due
15	Travel logistics; Faculty meetings with teams
16	Faculty meetings with teams	Team meetings with faculty mentors.
17	Fledgling company, fledgling economy: Vietnam	Vietnam is fast changing and is one of the fastest growing emerging economies in the world. It is viewed by many as another China-type success story. Can its growth be sustained? What is the role of entrepreneurship in its economic takeoff? Can the country retain its political system while undertaking far-reaching economic reforms? We discuss these issues in this session.
18	Making sense of the local environment: Vietnam	“The G-Lab team was in for a surprise when it arrived …” Most G-Lab stories could feature these words. We’ll use a 2005-06 G-Lab case to look at the opportunities, adaptations, and even hardships that you may encounter as you bring your MIT Sloan experience to a developing Asian market.
19	Session topic unavailable		Draft research report and peer review 1 due
20	Faculty meetings with teams	Team meetings with faculty mentors.
21	Faculty meetings with teams	Team meetings with faculty mentors.
22	Managing your G-lab internship	What happens when you get to your company and the plan needs to change? A 2009-10 G-Lab case will give us a chance to prepare for this situation.
23	Conclusion
	G-Lab Internship	Your internship will take place during at least three weeks of IAP 2011. All four team members must be together, on-site, throughout the internship. You will make a formal presentation to your company at both the beginning and the end of your onsite internship and provide them with supporting written analysis and data as appropriate.
24	Debrief and reflection session	All G-Lab students will participate in a session to reflect on your experience. Details will be announced in advance.
25	Poster session	Every team must prepare a poster and staff a presentation position during this event. You get to showcase what you did and why, for the entire MIT community. The poster session will be widely advertised and you should expect considerable interest, scrutiny, and questions.	Poster due
	Submission of final deliverables		Final internship report, after action review and peer review 2 due