Harvard Data Science Initiative

1-week intensive

LIVE faculty sessions

Generative AI: wisdom and warnings

Build your AI strategy in one week.
With Harvard Data Science Review.

Leave with a plan that delivers clarity and the confidence to lead the conversation.

Harvard - New Cert Image (2) (1)

5

Days to complete strategy

100%

Your context, your examples

30

Senior executives per cohort

Learn from:

Leading Faculty & Industry Pioneers

Applications Closed

This cohort (October 3–10, 2025) is full.

Thank you for your interest. Applications are now closed for this course.

The executive AI challenge

The Wisdom You Need

Which AI opportunities will transform your business? How do you build a strategy that actually works for your industry, stage, size, and culture?

The Warnings You Can't Ignore

What risks are specific to you? What can AI do and NOT do?

The Timeline Pressure

Your team wants a plan. Your competitors are moving. You need a strategy now, not after months of generic courses.

The Translation Problem

Every course uses retail or tech examples. You spend more time translating than learning. Nothing fits your context.

A different approach to AI education

We don't teach you about AI strategy. We build YOUR AI strategy with you.

Your time is valuable. So we eliminated everything that isn't yours. No generic examples to translate. No irrelevant modules to skip. Just the right amount of inspiration and time spent on your strategy, built in the time it actually takes.

Personalized to you

Your AI tutor knows your industry before day one. Every example, every framework, every discussion uses your actual context. This course is about you.

HDSR excellence

Live daily sessions with faculty who are shaping AI's future. Real-time answers to your specific questions in labs with industry TAs.

Executive peers

5-person cohorts of senior leaders. Paired for optimal peer learning. Your advisory board for the week.

Hear from Professor Xiao-Li Meng

Why Harvard Data Science Review created this intensive

In this video:

  • When does AI work and not work?
  • The power of live faculty + AI tutoring + peer learning
  • More is possible in one week than ever before

Based on articles from Harvard Data Science Review, a guided reading of the Special Issue: "Future Shock: Grappling With the Generative AI Revolution".

One week. One outcome.

Friday, Oct 3

"How do we approach AI?"

Uncertain, overwhelmed, behind

Friday, Oct 10

Your AI strategy

Use cases, future state, action plan, ready

You don't leave with knowledge about AI strategy.
You leave with YOUR AI strategy. And the certificate that proves your attendance. Ready to present.
Ready to implement.

Who attends this 1-week intensive

Senior professionals shaping AI strategy for their organizations or clients:

C-suite executives and VPs driving transformation

Management consultants advising on AI initiatives

Department heads implementing AI strategies

Executive coaches guiding leadership through AI adoption

Healthcare and government leaders modernizing operations

Innovation directors building AI capabilities

Your peers for the week:

A group of senior professionals from complementary industries, all building their AI strategies alongside you.

Common thread: You need a concrete AI strategy by Friday, not someday.

"I've done executive education at three universities. This was different. By Wednesday, I was building my actual strategy with Harvard faculty guidance. By Friday, I had what my board had been asking for."

— Chief Strategy Officer, Fortune 500 Healthcare

The power of one week

Why executives choose the intensive format:

Momentum

No loss of focus between sessions. Each day builds on the last. By Friday, you're done.

Urgency

Your organization needs direction now. Not after a semester. One week to strategy.

Efficiency

100% relevant content. No filler modules. Just what you need.

Trusted by senior executives and leaders from top organizations

"Worth every minute. The personalized AI tutor knew our industry before we started. Each session built directly on our context."

Chief Technology Officer

Technology Multinational

"Harvard faculty responding to our specific questions in real-time was invaluable. This isn't watching videos—it's strategy consulting."

VP Innovation

Manufacturing Leader

Why leaders choose the 1-week intensive over alternatives

The difference is precision over generic content

Traditional programs

Generic examples to translate

6-month programs

Primarily theory

Pre-recorded content

Industry-agnostic modules

Individual learning

1-Week Intensive Format

Your context from day one

One focused week

Focussed on your strategy and plan

Inspiring live faculty sessions

Calibrated to your role and sector

Executive peer cohorts

Learn from leaders shaping AI's future

Live daily sessions with Harvard Data Science Review Board Members and Authors, combined with live Deep Dive sessions with Industry TAs

Prof. Xiao-Li Meng

Whipple V. N. Jones Professor of Statistics at Harvard University & Editor-in-Chief, Harvard Data Science Review

Statistician and former Harvard Dean of GSAS, Prof. Meng is well known for his depth and breadth in research, his innovation and passion in pedagogy, and his engaging and entertaining style as a speaker and writer.

Prof. Ani Adhikari

Teaching Professor of Statistics at UC Berkeley

Ani Adhikari is a Senior Lecturer in Statistics at UC Berkeley and a recipient of Berkeley’s Distinguished Teaching Award and Stanford’s Dean’s Award for Distinguished Teaching. With a Ph.D. from Berkeley and an undergraduate degree from the Indian Statistical Institute, Ani focuses on teaching and mentoring students.

Dr. Stephanie Dick

Assistant Professor, Simon Fraser University & Harvard Data Science Review Board Member

Historian of AI and computing, expert on AI's societal impacts and ethical development. Brings critical perspective on automated reasoning and the human side of AI transformation.

Dirk Hofmann

Co-Founder, CEO DAIN Studios Germany & Harvard Data Science Review Board Member

Dirk Hofmann is a co-founder of a Finnish-German Data and AI consultancy. He has executed Data and AI strategies for many different companies and industries. Before DAIN, Dirk headed up global Data/AI and innovation initiatives at Siemens, Nokia and Deutsche Telekom.

Ulla Kruhse-Lehtonen

Co-founder, CEO DAIN Studios Finland & Harvard Data Science Review Board Member

Ulla Kruhse-Lehtonen is a co-founder of DAIN Studios, a Finnish-German Data and AI consultancy. She executes data and AI strategies for many different companies. Before DAIN, Ulla headed up large data and AI departments in global companies such as Sanoma Media and Nokia.

Vinitra Swamy

CEO & Co-founder, Scholé AI

Vinitra Swamy is a human-centered AI researcher and CEO of Scholé AI, an edtech spinoff focused on AI for education. She holds a PhD in Computer Science from EPFL, where she was recognized as a Rising Star in Data Science and received multiple awards for her contributions to machine learning and education research.

Plus: Industry teaching assistants

Evening labs feature TAs from leading organizations including:

Google • Microsoft • Waymo • Stanford • Apple • Others

All faculty participate live. No pre-recorded lectures. Your questions answered with TAs in real-time labs.

Course details

A comprehensive 7-day intensive designed for leaders to build practical AI strategies with leading faculty guidance

Daily schedule

  • 30 min: Preparation with AI tutor
  • 90 min: Live session with faculty (12-1:30pm ET)
  • 60-90 min: Apply to your strategy
  • Evening: Optional deep dive labs with industry TAs

What you'll cover

  • Core frameworks from Harvard Data Science Review, including insights from the Special Issue: "Future Shock: Grappling With the Generative AI Revolution"
  • AI opportunity assessment for your industry
  • Historical perspective and ethical framing of Gen AI
  • AL vision statement and mapped opportunities
  • Documented use cases and prioritization
  • Success metrics and action plan

You'll receive

  • Your personalized AI strategy document
  • Your personalized Use Case Canvas
  • Harvard Data Science Initiative Certificate of Attendance
  • Ongoing peer network access

Access to Harvard Data Science Review research

This program provides access to cutting-edge research from the Harvard Data Science Review, including frameworks from their latest special issue on generative AI. You'll learn directly from the researchers and practitioners shaping the future of AI strategy.

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know about the intensive

  • What's the daily time commitment?

    Plan for approximately 3 hours per day, designed for working professionals: ‍

    - 30 minutes: Daily preparation work (flexible timing)
    - 90 minutes: LIVE faculty session + group work (12:00-1:30pm EST)
    - 60 minutes: AI-guided application work (flexible timing)

    Additional optional work available for those who want to go deeper. The live sessions are fixed, but preparation and application work can be completed at your convenience.

  • What will I develop during the program?

    You'll develop your personalized AI strategy framework and use case formulation throughout the week, working with both faculty guidance, small group feedback and AI tutoring support.

    The program is designed to give you a solid foundation and framework you can continue developing in your organization.

  • Can I participate if my company has data sharing restrictions?

    Yes. This course is designed for you to apply the learning to your own business context. You’ll be invited to work on real issues and opportunities from your professional environment — but you can choose how much or how little you wish to share.

    We fully respect organizational data policies and confidentiality. If needed, you can use hypothetical or anonymized examples.

  • What if I miss a session?

    All sessions are recorded. You need to attend 5 of 6 live sessions for certification. Built-in flexibility for unavoidable conflicts.

  • Who are the other participants?

    30 senior executives (VP+) from non-competing industries. Your cohort of 5 will be at your level facing similar transformation challenges.

  • How does the AI tutoring work?

    The AI tutor is trained on course content and provides personalized guidance as you develop your strategy framework and use cases. It adapts to your business context and helps you apply each day's learning to your organizational challenges.

    The AI tutoring supports your work during preparation and application phases, allowing you to progress at your own pace while building your strategy.

  • What level of technical knowledge do I need?

    No coding required. This program is designed for business leaders and strategic decision-makers focusing on strategy, applications, and implementation—not technical development.

  • What happens if I miss a session?

    All LIVE sessions are recorded. We strongly encourage LIVE attendance for maximum value, especially for peer collaboration and real-time faculty interaction.

  • What if I'm in a different time zone?

    LIVE sessions run 12:00-1:30pm EST. That's:

    9:00am PST (West Coast)
    5:00pm GMT (London)
    10:30pm IST (India)
    1:00am CST next day (Singapore/Hong Kong)

    All sessions are recorded for international participants.

  • Will I receive a certificate?

    Yes, students receive a certificate of attendance from the Harvard Data Science Review if they attend and participate in a minimum of 5 of the 6 live sessions and complete all self-study activities that are marked as required. One additional absence from live sessions is possible upon request with justifiable reasons (e.g., medical absence).

Still have questions?

Our program advisors are standing by to discuss your specific needs and help determine if this intensive is right for your organization.