Wiki-course *beta

An Introduction to the IT Industry

‘How to use years in University to find your place and role in IT’

St. Petersburg. Fall 2011 - Spring 2012

Goals

• Offer students a unique opportunity to learn about the alchemy of the IT world: how people, organizations, technologies, markets and ideas interact with each other.
• Provide a stimulating environment for students to proactively take care of their self development and career paths, of their future.
• Encourage intense networking between all the course participants.

Course Topics
Part I

• Origins of the industry.
• Current markets and players. Business models.
• IT media and analyst agencies. Industry events.
• Standards developing organizations.
• Non-profit organizations. Academic and corporate research.
• People in the Industry.
• IT in Russia. Russian success stories.
• Challenges and trends in IT.

Part II

• English. Go global or GTFO.
• IT professions and career paths. IT labor market.
• Personal development ecosystem and networking.

Format
Lectures and master classes will be important, but the emphasis will be on learning through discussions, case studies and individual and group research projects as well as reading.
Students are expected to show proactive approach to learning. Main language is Russian although some study materials will be in English.

Participation is free, but there are only 20 places available*.

When
Course started on September 2011 and went throughout the fall semester with 4 hours class sessions and 8-10 hours homework per week. Graduate quests are to be written in the spring semester 2012 (the final data depends on quest's topic). Exam is expected in the end of May, 2012.

Internships

Summer internship in the participant organizations will be available. 

Where
St. Petersburg. Corporate offices and MKF at University ITMO (V.O. Birzhevaya Line, 16).

Curators

• Sergey Dmitriev http://twitter.com/sergeydmitriev
• Nikolay Vyahhi, St. Petersburg State University http://spbsu.ru/vyahhi
• Vladimir Aluferov, Exigen Services http://ru.linkedin.com/in/aluferov 

Confirmed guest lecturers and experts are from