The Jacobs Cornell University-Technion Israel Institute of Technology Institute campus, one of the most ambitious ventures in Israeli higher education, was officially inaugurated last week in New York.
Construction of the campus was begun by then-New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, among other reasons in order to compete better with Silicon Valley on the West Coast. Bloomberg invited university heads from all around the world to participate in a competition for establishing the campus. "This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a new university in New York," he wrote to them. Cornell and the Technion jointly won the competition.
Construction of the campus cost $133 million, which was donated by Qualcomm founding chairman and former CEO Dr. Irwin Jabobs and his wife, Joan Klein Jabobs.
In his speech at the campus dedication, Technion president Professor Peretz Lavie said that the campus would give birth to great ideas, new companies, and talents who will realize the vision of Mayor Bloomberg for New York.
"In partnership with Cornell University, we’ve developed a model of graduate-level technology education that is unlike any other - one that’s tailor-made not only for New York City but for the challenges of the digital revolution," Prof. Lavie said.
"The ultimate goal of the Jacobs Institute is not only to attract excellent students, but to give them the kind of excellent education that will ensure they are both prepared and excited to address the real-world challenges faced by professionals in their industries," Jacobs said.
"New York has long been the financial capital of the world, but the city is also home to a wide variety of other innovation-driven industries that make it particularly fertile territory for starting new companies," said Ron Brachman, Director of the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute. "Drawing upon Technion’s rich history of innovation and its role in establishing Israel as the ‘Startup Nation,’ the Jacobs Institute is well-positioned to drive economic development in New York, particularly in the high-tech sector."
The master's degree programs in Connective Media and Health Tech of the Jacobs Institute focus on promoting innovation in sectors in which New York has always excelled. The degree in Connective Media focuses on computer science and engineering and their human and social effects. The Health Tech program gives students advanced knowledge of medicine and the health system in the digital world. It was designed to develop new and innovative products and services that provide a solution for concrete medical needs.
The Runaway Startup program supports young doctoral students, and enables them to leverage their research into the founding of high-tech companies on the campus.
Graduates of these programs receive master’s degrees from both the Technion and Cornell-which makes the Technion the first international university to grant an accredited degree on US soil.
Last week's dedication ceremony was also attended by included Cornell University President Martha Pollack; Cornell Tech Dean and Vice Provost Daniel Huttenlocher; Bob Harrison, Chairman of the Cornell Board of Trustees; former New York City Mayor, and Founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies Michael Bloomberg; Israel's Minister of Science and Technology, Ofir Akunis; Consul General of Israel in New York, Ambassador Dani Dayan; New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio; and New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Published by Globes [online], Israel Business News - www.globes-online.com - on September 17, 2017
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