The GLOB-SM project

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The GLOB-SM Erasmus project

The GLOB-SM’s (Global Supply Chain Management) project has been selected for funding from the European Union. The amount awarded for this project is 745,800.50€ for 3 years (from January 2021 to January 2024).

The main purpose of the proposal is to develop a new master’s degree in supply chain to modernise higher learning institutions in Lebanon and Jordan and to implement innovative strategies and tools in a digital environment.

Context

With the increased use of digital technologies and the expanding scope of business operations, supply chain management stands at the forefront of the global economy, making national boundaries irrelevant and companies and countries ever closer.

Today, approximately 90% of business costs are linked to supply chain expenditure, and global supply chains account for over 80% of global trade and 20% of the workforce (an average of one in five workers) (Thorlakson et al., 2018).

Supply chain management is critical to the effective integration of material flow (transportation of raw material, pre-fabricates, parts, components, etc), information flow (communication between the departments, employees and systems), and financial flows into a global network of suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers (Zijm et al., 2019); And to the  establishment of long term relationships (Lambert and Enz, 2017), and implementation of sustainable practices in the production, processing, and distribution systems (Ashby et al., 2012).

In such a highly competitive and globalised market environment, companies need experienced supply chain professionals and international trade specialists who can easily understand cross-cultural issues and make decisions  in a non-standardised, complex, and highly dynamic environment. 

The GLOB-SM project develops a master's program on “Global Supply Chain Management” primarily driven by:

  • the global trends in international trade and supply chain management.
  • its unique contribution to food security, maritime industry and humanitarian relief programs in the Middle East.
  • the institutional capacity of the partner universities to implement the proposed programme and the European partners’ excellence in the field of international trade and supply chain management.

The partner universities in Lebanon and Jordan are highly motivated and best placed to train highly skilled professionals capable of handling complex relationships in a global and digitalised market.

In addition to the standard classes held in supply chain management programmes found in many prestigious AACSB accredited universities, GLOB-SM curriculum will also include three tracks more focused on national and regional needs:

  • The food supply management track 
  • The maritime track 
  •  The humanitarian logistics track

Objectives

The overall objectives of the GLOB-SM project are:

  • to improve the quality of higher education in partner countries.
  • to increase the local skills in the management of supply chains involving transport operators, manufacturers, processors, and distributors. 
  • to enhance the employability of graduates from the Middle East in the international job market. 

Higher education institutions in Lebanon and Jordan are committed to developing this new programme in order to modernise their curriculum in the field of supply chain management. and improve the quality of education to meet our modern society's needs.
Both countries are strategically located and have direct access to international shipping routes.

KEDGE activities

This programme fits the perfect description of internationalisation. It is a Master's degree in supply chain with an international dimension.

The partner universities from the EU (KEDGE Business School and The University of Antwerp) have a top-class Master's programme in global supply chain management with several tracks, including maritime management (KEDGE ranked 8th and Antwerp 22th in the world: https://www.best-masters.com/ranking-master-maritime-management.html).

Dealing specifically with Logistics, KEDGE through this master, is recognised as a leading training institution in international trade with a unique focus on the Maritime industry.

With more than 60 years of experience in transport and logistics, our MSc draws its strength from its well-established connections with the corporate world, its history and its international dimension. 

It enables students to develop key skills in international trade, international transport and logistics in order to manage strategic issues related to transport, supply chain, storage, customs, digitalisation, CSR, risk management, negotiation, etc… 

As one of the institutions recognised for its expertise, KEDGE will be involved in the content of the programme and will contribute, collectively with other partners, to the curriculum to meet the local market needs.

KEDGE will also participate in the governance of the programme and as such, will appoint a programme director and attend the different committees organised throughout the duration of the project. 

KEDGE will also monitor the assessment process, analyse results and will make adjustments to allow students to better fulfil the programme objectives. 

Lastly, KEDGE will manage the faculty participating in the programme and coordinate with other stakeholders to ensure effective teaching practice.

See more about our MSc International Trade and Logistics

The main outputs of the project will include

  • 50 professors and staffs trained by experienced EU professors; 10 EU professors involved in this Erasmus project.
  • 17 new courses being introduced in the standard programme and three tracks of the GLOB-SM MS programme (5 courses provided by KEDGE + 5 provided by ANTWERP University).
  • the creation of 4 education-enhancing ICT labs. 
  • the creation of an e-Learning platform.
  • an accredited GLOB-SM programme. 
  • student internships.
  • student mobility - 8 students carried out their thesis work at the EU partner universities. 
  • future  research activities planned among the 6 partners
Events
  • Kick off meeting – 10-11 February 2021 
  • September 2021: KEDGE Campus in Marseille will has received the professors and staff during one first training week.

Partners