2 - 4 September 2026
Course details
- Duration: 3 days
- Fees:
- Early bird fee: £800 (until 22 July)
- Standard fee: £1,000 (after 22 July)
- Venue: South Kensington Campus
- Contact us
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is offering an Executive and Continuing Professional Education course for public and private sector professionals to develop a shared understanding and competence in using an integrated, systems approach to infrastructure implementation.
“A Systems Approach to Infrastructure”, is a course for mid to senior level professionals engaged in infrastructure policy, planning, financing and implementation. It is also a place for all those interested in creating a more sustainable and resilient world to engage in discussions with infrastructure policy makers, sponsors and implementers.
As a world leading university, Imperial promises a learning curve of unsurpassed quality with top experts from around the world who will bring together all aspects of a systems approach to infrastructure implementation from planning, financing, to practical lessons learned on mega infrastructure programmes like Heathrow T5, Thames Tideway, Cross Rail, East-West Rail, Denver Union Station and Eagle Line, and other examples from around the world.
The participants will hear policy makers discuss the complexities and interdependencies of policies aimed at sustainable, innovative and resilient infrastructure; financial experts will discuss the sources, methods and constraints of financing such infrastructure; private consultants and public sector organizations will present case studies, lessons learned, practical issues, key success factors, and the importance of leadership, governance and team building in the successful implementation of infrastructure; academics and researchers will outline the role of emerging technologies and the direction of future research in systems engineering.
In addition, to speakers covering various aspects of a systems approach to infrastructure delivery there will be several panel discussions designed to look at the life cycle of infrastructure implementation from pre-award to delivery and commissioning. The panel discussion will range from ‘Adding value through a Systems Approach to Pre-award and Bidding Phases of Infrastructure Programs’ to ‘Understanding and Managing an Infrastructure Programme Ecosystem’, and looking at ways to encourage ‘Outcome focused systems thinking’. These panels are designed for a more interactive discussion with the expert panellists. Attendees will benefit from conversations with these public and private sector leaders with hands on experience of major infrastructure during the panel discussion and during breaks.
This course provides the perfect global platform and a unique opportunity to learn about cutting-edge research, state-of-the-art methodologies, and practical lessons learned on mega infrastructure programmes
More information
The course aims to bring all sides engaged in infrastructure development, whether in the private or public sectors or in academia, develop a better understanding of the needs and issues of the other. The participants will hear from industry and public sector leaders about lessons learned on major programmes; they will learn about the practical issues in implementing infrastructure and look at how existing programme management methodology can be adapted to being an integrates, systems approach to deliver a new vision of smart, sustainable, resilient and inclusive infrastructure while also addressing challenges of funding and financing. The identification of implementations challenges will lead to identifying potential areas of related research.
- Planners and engineers will learn from the experience of industry leaders about best practices and innovative methods to address the impacts of interconnected and interdependent systems and take advantage of system synergies to develop smart, sustainable, resilient and integrated solutions.
- Programme Managers and Delivery Partners will learn the importance of addressing the long-term impacts of infrastructure and how to bring that awareness to their clients.
- Public sector infrastructure managers will learn about the importance of a systems approach to programme delivery, about climate finance and available methods of financing infrastructure.
- Researchers will be able understand the issue practitioners face to focus the direction of future research to meet practical challenges and quantitative methods and modelling that validates interconnectivity of infrastructure systems to develop methods to achieve Net Zero emissions across all systems and improve resilience across systems.
- Academics who are responsible for improving public awareness about the impact of our infrastructure systems on our natural environment can do so with a better understanding of the practical and research issues related to the mitigation of these adverse impacts.
- All parties will have the opportunity for dialog designed to help them understand the needs and expectations of the other. This will lead to better quality RFPs, choice of the appropriate programme management approach and create better structures for P3 financing and implementation partnerships.
Attendees will benefit from meeting public and private sector engineers and programme managers with hands on experience of major infrastructure.
Each delegate completing the course will receive a Certificate of Completion from Imperial College London.
“I was delighted to have the opportunity to attend the Systems Approach to Infrastructure course at Imperial in September 2024. The speaker panel was an all-star line-up, representing a wide range of the country’s key major infrastructure programmes and institutions, each bringing a unique perspective based on deep sector expertise and extensive experience. The mix of industry, regulatory, and academic viewpoints, and the way these were joined up through careful programming, really set this course apart from others I’ve attended. The attendees also brought great value to the event, asking considered questions and engaging in animated discussion on hot topics, meaning that I returned home inspired and energised, with an expanded network of expert individuals passionate about systems thinking and major programmes. In addition to excellent content, the course was very well organised; I felt I had all the information I needed well in advance, and delivery during the event was smooth. Overall, this was a great experience, and I hope to attend again the next time this course is run”. Hannah Wight (she/they) | Jacobs | Senior Consultant, Programmes & Advisory, UK
This programme is intended for mid to senior level professionals engaged in infrastructure policy, planning and implementation in the consulting and construction industry, government agencies and non-governmental infrastructure implementing and financing organizations, academia, higher education, and enthusiasts interested in improving their knowledge about creating a more sustainable world.