A week-long journey into innovation, sustainability, and ethical leadership
From July 6 to 11, 2025, participants in the USI Executive MBA program immerse themselves in a dynamic and intellectually rich experience in Boston—one of the world’s most prominent ecosystems for scientific, technological, and organizational innovation. The study tour offers a high-level learning environment that combines academic depth with practical exploration, set within top institutions including MIT, Harvard, and Tufts University.
A Strategic Learning Journey
Over the course of six intensive days, participants engage with a carefully designed program of lectures, lab visits, simulations, and policy workshops. Sessions take place across premier venues such as Swissnex Boston, UMass Lowell, and specialized innovation labs focused on energy, transportation, and system dynamics.
Each day centers on a distinct theme, reinforcing the tour’s core focus on leadership, sustainability, and complex systems.
The program opens at Swissnex with sessions that introduce systems thinking and organizational modeling—tools that help leaders decode feedback-rich environments and anticipate long-term consequences.
Participants then visit a Renewable Energy Lab and take part in a World Climate Simulation, gaining hands-on insight into how policy decisions and stakeholder engagement shape sustainability outcomes on a global scale.
Focus then shifts to innovation design and resilient supply chains, explored through academic sessions and lab tours that showcase how technology, systems engineering, and applied research can drive strategic evolution in complex settings.
Returning to Swissnex, the group engages in discussions on organizational behavior, with a strong emphasis on ethical leadership and governance. The day concludes with a networking reception, offering opportunities to connect with local experts and institutional partners.
The final sessions feature the EN-Roads Workshop, a powerful interactive climate policy simulation that challenges participants to lead transformation through evidence-based strategies across energy, finance, and environmental systems.
Themes and Learning Objectives
The Boston Study Tour aligns with the core pillars of the EMBA program:
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Systems Thinking: Equipping leaders to decode complexity and influence systemic change.
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Strategic Sustainability: Embedding responsibility and long-term thinking into decision-making.
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Innovation and Design Thinking: Encouraging experimentation, agility, and collaboration.
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Ethical Leadership: Building a values-based approach to managing global risks and uncertainty.
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Cross-Cultural Networking: Strengthening global perspective through dialogue with institutions and experts in the U.S. innovation landscape.
Participants gain firsthand exposure to labs such as the MIT CAVE Lab and the Center for Transportation and Logistics, while also engaging with discussions around doughnut economics, circular models, and resilient leadership.
The 2025 USI EMBA Boston Study Tour serves as a catalyst for transformation. Through immersive learning and direct engagement with cutting-edge research and innovation, it prepares participants to lead with purpose, clarity, and systemic insight in a complex and interconnected world. Rather than a traditional study trip, this experience invites executives to reimagine leadership and act decisively toward sustainable and ethical impact.
