NUS: SDE Department of Building

1. The Knowledge Age and its Implications for Construction – features of the knowledge age; national and organizational learning; knowledge management; implications for governance and national policy; implications for construction

2. New Models of the Construction Industry, Project and Process – re-engineering the construction process and industry; new management techniques; application of new tools and techniques from other fields; new procurement approaches; cultural, legislative and institutional facilitators and constraints on firms’ and industries’ performance; benchmarking; best practices

3. Developing the Resources – people issues (continuous learning, relearning, team building, leadership); materials and equipment (supply chain management issues); finance and investment (new sources, partnerships)

4. Sustainable Construction – life-cycle assessment; management systems; national policy frameworks; corporate strategies

5. Competitive Strategies for a New Age – competition theory and construction; corporate strategies; strategic planning for the construction enterprise; strategic alliances among home companies, and across nations

6. International Construction – influencing factors on the market; future trends; critical success factors; corporate strategies

7. Innovation in Construction – the process within the firm; incentives at the national level; inter-firm collaboration; effective technology transfer; international co-operation.

8. Developing Countries Issues – implications of the knowledge economy; national policies; industry development; institution building; corporate policies and strategies

9. Championing, and Networks for, Industry Development – championing industry performance improvement; models for government-private sector co-operation; formation of networks of industry stakeholders; national and regional industry umbrella bodies; strategic alliances between the construction industry and other sectors of the economy

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