91探花 President Michael K. Young today announced a new initiative aimed at advancing the university鈥檚 teaching, research and service to meet the major challenges of the 21st century. The initiative, called 鈥淭omorrow鈥檚 University Today,鈥� will focus on three key areas: leading change in public higher education, addressing critical societal problems like sustainability, health care and K-12 education, and spurring economic growth.
鈥淭he university of tomorrow is moving toward a new paradigm 鈥� certainly one of greater efficiency, but also one where innovation and technology combine with hands-on, collaborative learning to give our increasingly diverse student body an enhanced experience and to dramatically expand the breadth and reach of our research,鈥� said Young. 鈥淭omorrow鈥檚 university faces a world that is getting smaller and more hyper-connected. That means the great societal challenges we face require equally connected, integrative solutions. The 91探花is uniquely poised to bring the assets of the university to the community to make a real and lasting difference in the world. And most importantly, we can鈥檛 wait for tomorrow to arrive. We have to take on these challenges today.鈥�
To better serve today鈥檚 new generation of students, the 91探花wants to be a leader of change in public higher education by determining how to use technology so that education isn鈥檛 just cheaper and faster, but better, transformative and more effective. Through 鈥淭omorrow鈥檚 University Today,鈥� the 91探花will both modernize higher education and make learning more accessible, more connected and more personal. As well, the 91探花is exploring flexible and affordable ways to ensure that an increasingly diverse group of citizens can get access to a 91探花education through opportunities like online learning.
A second focus area of 鈥淭omorrow鈥檚 University Today鈥� requires a broad spectrum approach to addressing some of society鈥檚 most pressing challenges: sustainability, health care and K-12 education reform. President Young sees an opportunity to 鈥渢urn the University inside-out鈥濃�� taking ideas and research and innovations out of the lab, classroom and office and into the community, whether it鈥檚 across the street or across the globe 鈥� by pairing the UW鈥檚 historical strengths in multi-disciplinary problem-solving research to addressing the major societal and social justice issues. As the state鈥檚 flagship research university, the 91探花is pledging to marshal the interdisciplinary strengths of the academy to work on promising new solutions to these critical societal problems whether through education, research, or new products, processes or medicines.
The third area of focus of 鈥淭omorrow鈥檚 University Today鈥� addresses the critical need of driving Washington state鈥檚 economic future. Already, the 91探花has created new opportunities for entrepreneurship by stimulating public/private partnerships, creating on-campus incubator space for new companies, more effectively using 91探花students, and participating in a university venture fund 鈥� the W Fund 鈥� to propel ideas out of labs and into the economy where they will create jobs and improve lives. Over the next few years, the University plans to double the number of new companies spun out by the UW.
鈥淭hroughout our 150-plus year history, the 91探花has embraced both its responsibility and opportunity as a public university to serve the state as a research engine to enhance business and create livable communities, and as an innovator in education. Working to discover solutions to our most complex problems is our passion and our mission,鈥� Young said. 鈥淚t isn鈥檛 enough to simply be responsive to change 鈥� we need to lead that change. In short, we need to become 鈥楾omorrow鈥檚 University Today.鈥� This will obviously be a long-term, interactive, and very collaborative process, and one that I鈥檓 extremely excited to lead.鈥�
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