"The focus of Tufts Gordon Institute is leadership – specifically, engineering leadership and entrepreneurial leadership. Leadership in these areas is vital for meeting the challenges of the 21st century."

Technology has become much more complex and often has unintended consequences. As a society, we are faced with critical issues such as sustainable development, maintenance and improvement of local, national, and global infrastructures, and the re-industrialization of America's economy. The intricate solutions to these problems will require engineers and entrepreneurs who understand the broader context in which they operate and the wider consequences of the solutions they offer. Engineers are currently underrepresented as thought leaders and as leaders in corporations and society at large. This must change. Our current political and business leaders are not equipped to face our pressing problems alone.

What characteristics must engineering and entrepreneurial leaders have? Beyond an excellent academic foundation, they must have superior communication and management skills, business fluency, vision and creativity, and a global perspective. Above all, they must have well-formed values and ethics.

The faculty of the Tufts Gordon Institute is uniquely qualified to provide our students with leadership knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Our faculty is comprised of current and former CEOs and senior executives from a variety of industries who bring a rich store of pragmatic experience as well as a passion and talent for teaching to our classrooms. These real-world Professors of the Practice, who serve as our core faculty, are committed to the Institute and work in collaboration with faculty members from the School of Engineering and other Tufts schools to achieve our overall educational mission.

The engineers and entrepreneurs of the 20th century truly transformed the world. We at Tufts Gordon Institute are working passionately to create a new generation of leaders who will bring excellence and innovation to the complex challenges and opportunities of the new millennium.

Robert J. Hannemann
Director
Tufts Gordon Institute