ICTF: ICT Foundations for decision makers
Gain in-depth understanding of the digital ecosystem, cybersecurity and digital trust, and interface with internal and external ICT stakeholders.
Enhancing digital readiness is a logical next step on the drivers of philanthropic vitality, as well as sector rebuilding needs post-COVID-19.
The recent rise of cyberattacks against municipalities and charitable organisations, notably the International Committee of the Red Cross, also highlights the importance of digital literacy and preparedness.
The course aims to enable senior level participants of non-profit organizations to better engage digitally with beneficiaries and stakeholders, as well as better understand the opportunities and threats posed by digital technologies.
C4DT is uniquely placed to act as the hub of digital knowledge transfer among all its stakeholders and the society. It is inherently connected to academia and its partners include leading companies and technology industries, medical and philanthropy organizations, NGOs and governmental actors.
The Academy domain of C4DT is the training facet of the hub. Upon request, the Academy channels the knowledge – whether it is academic, industrial, policies or a combination of all these – in form of tailored executive courses and puts them at the service of its stakeholders. Some features of the Academy courses are:
- Academic credibility with realistic case-studies
- Benefiting from the high standard of the academic teaching at EPFL while accessing new and realistic case-studies through our industrial partners.
- Modern format
- Well organized structures, clear objectives, promoting interaction among participants while using online learning platforms.
- Sharing with peers
- Discuss with participating peers from other industries and exchange experience about opportunities and challenges.
- A window into the digital market
- Connect to participating decision makers and executives from a wide range of market segments, understand their expectations and main interests, and gain insight into digital market trends.
Learn:
- fundamental Concepts of ICT and
- understand architectures and building blocks of new digital services,
- cybersecurity, data privacy and cyber risk-mitigation processes,
- ICT management, regulation and compliance frameworks, and
- technology trends: artificial intelligence, blockchains, quantum computing and the internet of things.
Managers and executives without any technical prerequisites.
Throughout the last 7 editions of the FICT course, participants came from more than 20 different international and local enterprises and organizations covering different market segments. Among others, their functions include directors, legal advisors, head of units, project managers and COOs.
The upcoming edition of this course will take place from January 29th to February 2nd, 2024. It will be conducted in French and is now newly entitled “DigiTRUST : Décider à l’ère du numérique”.
This edition is supported by Fondation Lombard Odier
To unlock its full potential for the public good, philanthropy and the citizen sector need to speak tech. To put the necessary competences at the fingertips of senior nonprofit personnel in a one-week course, we are delighted to partner with the Center for Digital Trust at EPFL.
Testimonials
I had the opportunity to participate in the first edition of the course Foundation of ICT for Decisions Makers co-organized by FLO and C4DT. It was a fantastic experience! The course provided me with tools and knowledge that would facilitate making informed decisions when it comes to ICT. The level of the presenters and the material were excellent. The format, content and flow of the course is well thought. The right balance between presentations, theory and practical examples. By the end of the course I took with me invaluable learnings that will add value to my job. A course to not be missed. Fully recommended!
The FICT course offered a concentrated and tailored window into the world of blockchain, machine learning, AI and beyond, and most importantly, how these interact with the world of philanthropy and communications. If you or your organization are discussing these topics and how they could be useful, this course is a great starting point. It exposed me to new and already existing ideas from the fast moving technology world, and provided the open space to reflect, debate and learn. Whilst some of these subjects were familiar to me, the course added extra layers of knowledge and depth, as well as filling in knowledge gaps for new subjects. In general, the course was an eye-opener in many ways, reminding us that we often don’t spend enough time assessing the powerful platforms and tools we use in our daily work, which if we are not careful, can also be important vulnerabilities that we need to be aware of. Therefore, continuous education and awareness of the incredible opportunities, challenges and vulnerabilities of ICT is paramount.
I can wholeheartedly recommend the “Foundation of ICT for Decision-makers” course of the EPFL Center for Digital Trust (C4DT). In order for organizations to remain relevant and make the right strategic decisions, today’s senior managers must develop a sound understanding of the fast evolving digital technologies that shape the world. The power of these technologies represent a huge potential but also pitfalls that are not always sufficiently understood by the “business” managers. The one week course provides a fascinating insight into the relevant areas of ICT including machine learning, cybersecurity, data privacy and blockchain. A diverse group of professors and senior researchers, all passionate by their respective field, excel at sharing their knowledge in a way that is accessible to professionals from other domains. They raise the tough questions we must all ask ourselves when moving forward. The course is a must for senior leaders who want to shape not be shaped by the technologies their organizations use.
I found the FICT very engaging with some great speakers who were very open and eager to share their knowledge. Despite it being online only, I found the course very engaging, as there was a good balance between theory and practical exercises, as well as a wide spectrum of subjects; from the basics of computing and networks to deep dives into Machine Learning and cybersecurity. Whilst some of these subjects were familiar to me, the course added extra layers of knowledge and depth, as well as filling in knowledge gaps for new subjects. In general, the course was an eye-opener in many ways, reminding us that we often don’t spend enough time assessing the powerful platforms and tools we use in our daily work, which if we are not careful, can also be important vulnerabilities that we need to be aware of. Therefore, continuous education and awareness of the incredible opportunities, challenges and vulnerabilities of ICT is paramount.
New digital technologies have tremendous potential and are evolving fantastically fast. For NGO’s of all sizes, whether they work on a local or an international level, it is essential to be aware of the fundamentals in order to embrace present and future challenges. The «Fundamentals of ICT» course, organized by the Center for Digital Trust in partnership with Fondation Lombard Odier, offers first class insights in this field. During a week of intensive training orchestrated by highly qualified researchers, focused on the technical as well as the ethical dimension, participants will dive deep into IT opportunities and security issues.