Executive Education

A premium executive education programme that equips senior leaders to lead AI responsibly, strategically, and defensibly.

Delivered by UCL CSRI in partnership with Acuity Data, this executive education experience is designed for leaders who need to move, not just learn.

Course Structure

Delivered as an intensive, applied programme, it combines research-led insight with practical application across lectures, peer discussion, and real-world case work.

Participants engage in four hours of teaching per day. The structure reflects how senior leaders actually develop: short, focused inputs; challenge and exchange with peers; and direct application to real organisational contexts.

The programme is currently delivered as a closed engagement in partnership with PGIM, with scope to adapt for other organisations.

Programme Modules

Build a clear understanding of AI capabilities and limitations, and connect them directly to your organisation's strategic priorities.

Move from ideas to action through real-world use cases, with a focus on delivery, value creation, and operational execution.

Develop governance approaches and ethical frameworks that support responsible adoption and build lasting organisational trust.

Understand regulatory expectations and risk management approaches, and how to apply them without slowing innovation.

Tomaso Aste

UCL Professor of Complexity Science and Head of Computational Economics and Finance

Tomaso Aste will be one of the course professors, bringing deep expertise in data‑driven modelling, AI, blockchain, and financial systems, with experience advising regulators and industry. He is a Professor of Complexity Science at UCL and Head of Computational Economics and Finance, as well as Co‑Founder and Scientific Director of the UCL Centre for Blockchain Technologies.

What This Programme Enables

This is not a theoretical exercise. It is a practical toolkit for leaders who need to make better decisions, faster, and bring their organisations with them.

✔️ Identify high-value AI opportunities and prioritise where to act

✔️ Translate strategy into practical roadmaps with clear milestones and ownership

✔️ Navigate EU AI Act and GDPR in ways that support rather than stall progress

✔️ Design governance structures that scale across the organisation

✔️ Assess and manage technical, operational, and reputational risk

✔️ Lead informed conversations with boards and senior stakeholders

✔️ Balance innovation with responsibility in real-world decision-making

Who Is This For?

This is a leadership-focused, applied programme built for decision-makers who need to set direction, manage risk, and deliver impact.

This programme does not cover:

X Coding or data science

X Building or training AI models

X Technical system design

No technical background is required.

Certification

Participants in the PGIM programme receive a UCL Centre for Sustainability and RealTech Innovation (CSRI) Certificate of Completion, recognising active engagement in the programme.

From Thought Leadership to Action

This programme builds directly on the themes explored in the CSRI–Acuity Data thought leadership series. Where the webinars introduce the key questions, executive education focuses on applying them inside your organisation, against your specific challenges.

Free Webinar Series

WEBINAR 1: Is AI a Bubble or an Opportunity?

This session cuts through the noise with a grounded look at whether today’s AI momentum is justified and what it means for your business. You will leave with a practical framework to separate genuine.

WEBINAR 2: Should You Build, Buy, or Wait?

In this webinar, we're breaking down the real costs, timelines, and capabilities required for each option.

WEBINAR 3: Who Owns What When You Use AI?

This webinar tackles the legal and intellectual property questions surrounding AI, not with legal jargon, but with practical guidance you can implement now.

Bespoke programmes for your organisation

The programme is currently delivered as a closed executive education engagement with PGIM. We also work with organisations to design bespoke programmes tailored to specific strategic, regulatory, and operational challenges, connecting UCL research with real-world application and helping teams move from exploration to implementation.