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HEC has announced a new specialization for its PhD program. Supply chain management and operations optimization will be added to the five existing specializations that cover the foundations of business management, namely:
- Accounting, management control and organization,
- Finance,
- Human resources and organization,
- Marketing,
- Strategic management.
Hervé Crès, Associate Dean of the HEC Master of Science in Management and PhD programs, explains that the new specialization, introduced in the 2006/2007 academic year, is increasingly sought after by students. It addresses a growing demand from students, notably those from Asia, who are interested in issues of supply chain management. "These students are often graduates of French engineering schools who want to go the next step and take on management responsibilities. The supply chain specialization is ideal for them as it stands at the interface between business and engineering."
The supply chain management and operations optimization course will take advantage of the expertise of HEC faculty members in this field: Christian Van Delft for optimization by simulation, inventory control, hierarchical production planning and real-time flow control for manufacturing systems; Laoucine Kerbache for optimal routing and operations management; Mozart Menezes for supply chain management; and Sihem Jouini for strategic management of innovation, project management and new product development.
One PhD student has already selected this specialization and at least three students per year are expected from 2008/2009.
Cutting-edge research
HEC recruits an average of 15 students to each four-year PhD cycle. During their first year, students follow a rigorous research training program and choose a specialization for their dissertation project. The next three years are devoted to empirical work, such as data compilation, interviews, surveys, observations, tests and analyses, and the writing and defense of their PhD thesis.
The specialization studies offer advanced seminars that focus on the most up-to-date research in each given field. The aim is to provide real support for each student and ensure that his or her thesis is both innovative and feasible given the allocated period of time. In addition to an enhanced knowledge of their specialization, students receive extensive methodological training and attend seminars in advanced statistics.
With its new supply chain management specialization, HEC has once again demonstrated its ability to react to changes in student and corporate needs and provided a further example of its ability to anticipate change through a culture of innovation.
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