UK SCALE students take part in their first SCALE Connect Residential at MIT

UK SCALE students and staff posing together at an evening event in Boston, with the city skyline visible in the background

Students from Â鶹ֱ²¥ University Business School have taken part in the SCALE Connect Residential, an intensive three-week global programme hosted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston.

The residential forms a core part of the MSc Supply Chain Management delivered by the UK Supply Chain and Logistics Excellence (UK SCALE) Centre, and this year marked the first cohort of Â鶹ֱ²¥ students to participate in the experience.

A global learning experience within the MIT Global SCALE Network

SCALE Connect brings together students from centres across the , a leading international alliance of supply chain and logistics centres spanning across the world.

As the UK’s member of the Network, UK SCALE offers students a unique opportunity to study within a global learning environment, collaborating with peers from different countries, cultures and professional backgrounds while engaging directly with world-leading faculty and industry practitioners.

Applied learning at the heart of the programme

During the residential, students took part in a demanding programme of academic, technical and professional development activities designed to reflect the complexity of real-world supply chains.

Key elements included a real-world business simulation game, where students worked in teams to make strategic decisions under time pressure, balancing cost, service, sustainability and risk. The simulation developed both analytical capability and cross-cultural collaboration skills.

Alongside this, students attended a series of industry-led sessions featuring senior supply chain leaders from global organisations, including Walmart, United Airlines and Kinaxis, gaining insight into contemporary challenges such as sustainability, compliance, digitalisation and resilience.

Students seated in a large MIT lecture theatre, listening to a session during the SCALE Connect Residential, with laptops and notebooks open.

Technical capability was developed through hands-on Python coding workshops, introducing students to data-driven problem solving and analytics techniques commonly used in modern supply chain roles.

As part of the residential, students took part in the SCALE Research Expo, where they engaged with cutting-edge research from across the Global SCALE Network and presented work-in-progress capstone projects to MIT’s academic and industry partners, exploring the application of digital and AI-driven approaches to forecasting, planning and operational decision-making within supply chains.

A UK SCALE student presenting a research poster on AI and forecast accuracy during the MIT Global SCALE Network Research Expo, speaking with an attendee.

Building skills, confidence and global networks

Reflecting on the experience, Telma, an MSc Supply Chain Management student, said:

“It has been challenging but creative at the same time. It’s forced me to think differently and really reflect on what I’m learning from each session. Working in international teams on the business simulation was especially rewarding, because it allowed us to tackle real-world problems while learning from different perspectives and experiences.”

Strengthening UK SCALE’s global positioning

Professor Jan Godsell, Director of the UK SCALE Centre and Dean of Â鶹ֱ²¥ Business School, highlighted the significance of the inaugural cohort’s participation:

“SCALE Connect is a defining element of the MSc Supply Chain Management and a powerful example of what it means to study as part of the MIT Global SCALE Network. For our first cohort, this residential has accelerated their technical capability, broadened their global perspective, and immersed them in the realities of supply chain leadership. It reflects our commitment to developing graduates who can operate confidently in complex, international environments.”

Group of UK SCALE students standing in front of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Great Dome on a snowy day.

The successful completion of the first SCALE Connect Residential represents a key milestone for UK SCALE and reinforces Â鶹ֱ²¥ University Business School’s position at the forefront of supply chain education, combining academic rigour with real-world relevance and global connectivity.