Valued AI seminar for alumni from the Executive MBA programme

On December 15, GU Executive Education hosted a half-day seminar, AI for Decision Makers – a practical introduction, for alumni from the Executive MBA programme. The focus was on AI – both what it actually is and how a business needs to organise itself to implement it.

Presenting the seminar was Miroslaw Staron, professor at the University of Gothenburg’s IT faculty, whose research includes how AI can be used in software development. Prior to the seminar, all participants were given reading material and the task to bring an example of an area in their own business where it could be possible to implement AI. Felix Törner, an alumnus of the 2018-2020 programme and Gudrun Bragadottir, an alumna of the 2012-2014 programme, both participated.

Felix Törner graduated with an Executive MBA this spring. His master’s thesis focused on the challenges and opportunities relating to the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) in Swedish organisations.

“I especially appreciated that Miroslaw Staron encouraged us to keep in contact after the seminar to discuss our own cases – a very important opportunity,” says Felix Törner. He adds:

“I also take away with me his description of the challenge of starting to work with AI; that it does not lie in the technology but in the soft values of organisational culture, understanding and working methods. This relates to what I wrote about in my master’s thesis.”

GU Executive Education arranges regular events and seminars for alumni to encourage continued networking and learning, something that Felix Törner appreciates.

“A seminar like this definitely adds value and is a kind of continuation of the programme. We constantly need learning for life and the alumni events that GU Executive Education offers are a good way to do that.”

Gudrun Bragadottir, Head of Sales and Partners at the IT company Avondale, graduated with an Executive MBA in 2014. She is happy to participate in the seminars that GU Executive Education arranges for alumni from the Executive MBA programme.

“It was very useful to hear other people’s examples and thoughts on implementing AI, as well as to hear Miroslaw Staron’s advice to everyone. He gave concrete guidance on, for example, which algorithms were relevant in the various cases,” says Gudrun Bragadottir.

“AI is a typical example of an IT concept that appears and becomes very hot. Everyone talks about it, but few know how it actually works and what issues an organisation needs to think about before an implementation, i.e. what degree of maturity is needed. This is precisely what this seminar was about. The abstract became concrete and we were given a lot that can help decision makers who are not IT experts but need knowledge to become competent buyers of AI.”

Gudrun Bragdadottir values the seminars that are arranged for alumni, both for the network opportunities they offer and because they provide new and qualified knowledge in relevant areas.

“Pursuing an Executive MBA allows you to see the world around you from multiple new perspectives and the seminars are a continuation of that.”

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For more information about Gothenburg Executive MBA, contact:

Peter Salomonsson, Sales & Business Development Manager

peter.salomonsson@handels.gu.se, +46 708 62 48 60

Håkan Ericson, CEO

hakan.ericson@handels.gu.se, +46 709 50 63 35