SEAS computer science faculty to teach short courses for execs

Working professionals and executives can now enroll in one- and two-day intensive programs exploring cutting-edge topics in information technology thanks to a collaboration between Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education and computer science faculty from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS).

The newly created professional development initiative will address a growing need among organizations to keep their managers up-to-speed in rapidly changing technology environments. Participants will benefit from interacting with some of the most notable teachers and researchers in their fields, all in state-of-the-art classrooms on the Harvard campus.

The information technology programs will cover a range of topics, including data visualization and social networks, enabling participants to apply current research to solve problems in their own organizations.

These noncredit, intensive sessions will take place during the University’s winter session in January. One program, Privacy, Secrecy, and Censorship in the Digital Age, will also be offered online simultaneously; participants will see, hear, and interact with the instructor and other participants in real-time.

Notable Harvard faculty include Harry Lewis, Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science, former Dean of Harvard College, and co-author of Blown to Bits: Your Life, Liberty, and Happiness After the Digital Explosion, and Michael Mitzenmacher, Professor and Area Dean of Computer Science, and author or co-author of more than 150 publications.

The level of the programs vary and are designed to cater to both seasoned technology professionals and non-technical audiences. Advanced topics geared towards those with a computer science background include cloud computing, software security, and developing web applications with Ajax and LAMP. For those without formal training in computer science, programs will be available in social networks and markets, privacy in the digital age, and conveying complex data through visual representations.

“With the pace of technology changes today, employees and companies need to retool continually and update their knowledge and skills in order to remain relevant. We are excited to share the expertise of our faculty with other professionals, from economists and marketers to system administrators and chief technology officers,” said Cherry Murray, Dean of Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

“This new initiative provides professionals with the opportunity to learn from leading faculty about highly current topics in a short time period,” said Michael Shinagel, Dean of Harvard University Division of Continuing Education. “Participants can immediately apply the knowledge gained to their work, which benefits both the participant and the employer.”

Program Schedule

The Division of Continuing Education is offering a series of one- and two-day noncredit programs on topics in technology and management.

Visit http://www.dce.harvard.edu/
professional/ for more information or to register. Early bird registration for the January programs runs through December 20.

January 2011

General Audience

• Privacy, Secrecy, and Censorship in the Digital Age — January 10–11
  Harry Lewis, Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science, Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Online option 

• Social Networks and Markets — January 10–11
  Michael Mitzenmacher, Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science, Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences 

• Data Visualization: Conveying Information through Visual Representations — January 12–13
  Hanspeter Pfister, Gordon McKay Professor of the Practice of Computer Science, Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences 

Advanced Topics

• Cloud Computing, Hands On — January 6
  David Malan, Lecturer on Computer Science, Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

• Rapid Development of Web Apps with Ajax and LAMP — January 7
  David Malan, Lecturer on Computer Science, Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

• Trends in Software Security — January 14
  Greg Morrisett, Allen B. Cutting Professor of Computer Science, Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

• Beyond Relational Databases — January 13
  Margo Seltzer, Herchel Smith Professor of Computer Science, Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

 
Please note: These programs are for noncredit and do not count toward degree programs and are ineligible for Harvard's tuition assistance plan.