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Ken Griffin’s $3 BILLION Carnegie Mellon Bet Why Miami Could Change American Education · USA Daily News

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  Speaker 1: The announcement arrived with a number that immediately changed the
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: scale of the conversation surrounding Carnegie Mellon University, $ 3 billion.
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: Ken Griffin, the billionaire founder and CEO of Citadel, has
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  Speaker 1: committed that extraordinary sum to Carnegie Mellon in what the
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  Speaker 1: university describes as the largest philanthropic investment by an individual
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: in the history of higher education. The figure is so
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  Speaker 1: large that it is difficult to place into ordinary terms.
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  Speaker 1: This is not simply a donation aimed at adding another building,
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  Speaker 1: expanding a scholarship fund, or supporting a single academic program.
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  Speaker 1: It is an investment designed to influence the direction of
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  Speaker 1: an institution, strengthen its technological capabilities, and give Carnegie Mellon
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  Speaker 1: a dramatically larger presence in one of the most competitive
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  Speaker 1: economic regions of the United States. The announcement also stands
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  Speaker 1: out because of what Carnegie Mellon represents within American higher education.
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  Speaker 1: Based in Pittsburgh, the university has developed an international reputation
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  Speaker 1: for computer science, artificial intelligence, robotics, engineering, cybersecurity, and other
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  Speaker 1: technology-driven fields. In an era when governments, corporations, and universities
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  Speaker 1: are competing to establish leadership in artificial intelligence and advanced technology,
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  Speaker 1: Carnegie Mellon already occupies an important position. Griffin's decision, therefore,
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  Speaker 1: goes beyond supporting a respected university. It places an enormous
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  Speaker 1: amount of private capital behind an institution that is already
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  Speaker 1: deeply connected to the technological transformation taking place across the
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  Speaker 1: global economy. But the size of the donation is only
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  Speaker 1: the beginning of the story. The money is tied to
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  Speaker 1: a much broader vision for what Carnegie Mellon can become.
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  Speaker 1: Griffin's commitment is divided between the university's established home in
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  Speaker 1: Pittsburgh and an ambitious expansion in Miami. That means the
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  Speaker 1: gift is simultaneously about strengthening an existing academic powerhouse and
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  Speaker 1: building a new center of research and education in a
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  Speaker 1: city that has spent the past several years positioning itself
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  Speaker 1: as a growing destination for finance, technology, and entrepreneurship. That
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  Speaker 1: dual strategy is important because it changes the meaning of
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  Speaker 1: the donation. Carnegie Mellon is not simply receiving additional resources.
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: The university is using the investment to expand its geographic
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  Speaker 1: reach and rethink how it approaches education and research. A
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  Speaker 1: major portion of the funding will strengthen Pittsburgh, while another
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  Speaker 1: major share will support the creation of Carnegie Mellon University Miami.
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  Speaker 1: The Miami project is planned for more than 35 acres
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  Speaker 1: in the Wynwood neighborhood, creating the possibility that Carnegie Mellon
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  Speaker 1: could establish a substantial long-term academic presence far from its
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  Speaker 1: traditional Pennsylvania base. For Griffin, the decision also reflects a
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  Speaker 1: personal and economic connection to Miami. Citadel moved its headquarters
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  Speaker 1: from Chicago to Miami in 2022 and placing Griffin at
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  Speaker 1: the center of one of the most visible corporate relocations
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  Speaker 1: associated with the city's recent rise. Since then, Miami has
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  Speaker 1: attracted financial firms, investors, entrepreneurs, and technology companies seeking access
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  Speaker 1: to capital, talent, and a business environment they view as
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  Speaker 1: increasingly competitive with older American commercial centers. A major Carnegie
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  Speaker 1: Mellon campus could add another dimension to that transformation by
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  Speaker 1: making education and advanced research a larger part of Miami's
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  Speaker 1: economic identity. That is why the $ 3 billion announcement has
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  Speaker 1: implications that extend beyond Carnegie Mellon itself. Universities do not
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  Speaker 1: operate in isolation from the regions around them. A major
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  Speaker 1: research university can influence the labor market, attract companies, generate startups,
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  Speaker 1: draw highly educated workers, and create partnerships with government and industry.
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  Speaker 1: The creation of a major Carnegie Mellon presence in Miami
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  Speaker 1: could therefore become part of the city's broader effort to
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  Speaker 1: move beyond its historical reputation as a center for tourism,
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  Speaker 1: real estate, and international commerce and toward a role as
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  Speaker 1: a significant technology and innovation hub. At the same time,
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  Speaker 1: the donation represents a major vote of confidence in Carnegie
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  Speaker 1: Mellon's existing model. Griffin is not an alumnus of the university.
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  Speaker 1: He graduated from Harvard. His decision to direct such an
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  Speaker 1: enormous amount of money toward Carnegie Mellon consequently raises an
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  Speaker 1: important question. What did he see in the institution that
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  Speaker 1: made it worth making the largest individual contribution in higher
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  Speaker 1: education history? The answer appears closely connected to Carnegie Mellon's
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  Speaker 1: technological strengths and its willingness to build educational programs around
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  Speaker 1: emerging challenges rather than remaining confined to traditional academic structures.
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  Speaker 1: That philosophy becomes particularly important in the age of artificial intelligence.
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  Speaker 1: The $ 3 billion commitment to Carnegie Mellon University is remarkable
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  Speaker 1: not simply because of its size, but because of how
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  Speaker 1: deliberately the money is being divided between two very different
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  Speaker 1: geographic missions. Rather than concentrating the entire gift on the
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  Speaker 1: university's historic Pittsburgh campus, Carnegie Mellon plans to use $ 1
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  Speaker 1: billion to strengthen its existing institution in Pennsylvania while directing
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  Speaker 1: $ 2 billion toward the creation of a major new campus
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  Speaker 1: in Miami. That allocation effectively turns Griffin's philanthropy into a
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  Speaker 1: two-city strategy, linking Carnegie Mellon's established technological base with an
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  Speaker 1: expanding economic center in South Florida. The Pittsburgh portion of
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  Speaker 1: the investment is designed to reinforce the university where its
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  Speaker 1: academic identity was built. Half of that $ 1 billion allocation,
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  Speaker 1: or $ 500 million, is directed toward Carnegie Mellon's School of
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  Speaker 1: Computer Science, which has been renamed the Kenneth C. Griffin
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  Speaker 1: School of Computer Science. The remaining $ 500 million will provide
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  Speaker 1: flexible support for the university's highest priorities. That structure gives
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  Speaker 1: Carnegie Mellon both targeted funding for one of its most
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  Speaker 1: strategically important academic areas and additional resources that university leaders
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  Speaker 1: can deploy according to changing institutional needs. The decision to
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  Speaker 1: place such a significant amount into computer science is particularly consequential.
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  Speaker 1: Carnegie Mellon has spent decades building a reputation in computing,
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  Speaker 1: artificial intelligence, robotics, and related fields. The new investment is
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  Speaker 1: intended to expand research capacity, improve access to computing resources,
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  Speaker 1: support students, and strengthen the university's ability to respond to
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  Speaker 1: emerging technological challenges. In practical terms, the Pittsburgh campus is
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  Speaker 1: being given additional financial power to deepen the capabilities that
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  Speaker 1: already distinguish it internationally. But the bigger geographical transformation is
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  Speaker 1: taking place in Miami. The remaining $ 2 billion is being
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  Speaker 1: used to launch Carnegie Mellon University Miami, a new 35-acre
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  Speaker 1: campus in the Wynwood neighborhood. This is not being presented
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  Speaker 1: as a small satellite facility or a limited extension of
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  Speaker 1: the Pittsburgh campus. The plan calls for a comprehensive university
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  Speaker 1: environment with classrooms, research facilities, space for collaboration, and an
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  Speaker 1: academic structure intended to operate on a much larger scale.
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  Speaker 1: The planned size of the Miami campus gives an indication
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  Speaker 1: of the ambitions behind the project. Once fully developed, it
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  Speaker 1: is expected to support more than 3,500 undergraduate, master's, and Ph.D. students,
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  Speaker 1: along with nearly 300 faculty members and more than 600 staff.
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  Speaker 1: Those numbers point to an institution that could become a
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  Speaker 1: meaningful presence in Miami's education and research, and employment landscape
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  Speaker 1: rather than simply an outpost for Carnegie Mellon students. The
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  Speaker 1: timeline also underscores that this is a long-term investment. Construction
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  Speaker 1: is scheduled to begin in 2027, subject to the necessary
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  Speaker 1: regulatory approvals. The current plan calls for graduate students to
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  Speaker 1: begin enrolling in 2028, followed by the arrival of the
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  Speaker 1: first undergraduate cohort in 2032. That means the full economic
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  Speaker 1: and academic impact of the Miami project will develop gradually.
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  Speaker 1: The $ 2 billion commitment provides the foundation, but the campus
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  Speaker 1: itself is expected to evolve over many years. Location is
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  Speaker 1: another critical element. Wynwood is one of Miami's most recognizable
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  Speaker 1: neighborhoods and has undergone extensive transformation from an industrial area
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  Speaker 1: into a center associated with culture, entrepreneurship, technology, and investment.
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  Speaker 1: Establishing Carnegie Mellon there would place the university close to companies, investors, startups,
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  Speaker 1: and other institutions that could become potential research and business partners.
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  Speaker 1: That proximity is central to the university's vision for the campus.
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  Speaker 1: Carnegie Mellon plans to organize the Miami institution around major
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  Speaker 1: societal challenges rather than traditional academic departments alone. Areas identified
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  Speaker 1: by the university include human health and biological discovery, national
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  Speaker 1: security and strategic capabilities, energy and climate resilience, and advanced
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  Speaker 1: manufacturing and industrial transformation. The distinction matters because it suggests
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  Speaker 1: that the campus is being designed around problems rather than disciplines.
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  Speaker 1: A traditional university structure might separate computer scientists, engineers, biologists, economists,
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  Speaker 1: and policy researchers into individual schools or departments. Carnegie Mellon's
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  Speaker 1: Miami model is intended to bring expertise together around challenges
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  Speaker 1: that require multiple forms of knowledge. The university believes that
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  Speaker 1: issues such as climate resilience, national security, and advanced manufacturing
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  Speaker 1: cannot be solved effectively within a single academic field. The
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  Speaker 1: campus is also expected to include industry research laboratories and
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  Speaker 1: venture studios. The decision to establish Carnegie Mellon University Miami
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  Speaker 1: represents the most ambitious part of Ken Griffin's $ 3 billion
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  Speaker 1: commitment because the project is not being conceived as a
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  Speaker 1: conventional satellite campus. Carnegie Mellon is attempting to build an
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  Speaker 1: entirely new academic environment around a different way of organizing
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  Speaker 1: education and research. At the center of that vision is
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  Speaker 1: a simple idea. Some of the biggest problems facing society
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  Speaker 1: do not fit neatly into traditional university departments. The planned
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  Speaker 1: campus will occupy more than 35 acres in Miami's Wynwood neighborhood,
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  Speaker 1: placing Carnegie Mellon directly inside one of the city's most
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  Speaker 1: rapidly developing districts. Once fully established, the university expects the
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  Speaker 1: site to support more than 3,500 undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students,
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  Speaker 1: nearly 300 faculty members, and more than 600 staff members.
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  Speaker 1: construction is expected to begin in 2027, with graduate students
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  Speaker 1: planned to arrive in 2028 and the first undergraduate class
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  Speaker 1: targeted for 2032, subject to the necessary regulatory approvals. But
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  Speaker 1: the physical campus is only one part of the plan.
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  Speaker 1: What makes CMU Miami unusual is the decision to organize
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  Speaker 1: academic life around major societal challenges and instead of relying
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  Speaker 1: primarily on traditional academic majors and departments. The model is
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  Speaker 1: intended to bring together computer scientists, engineers, scientists, policy specialists,
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  Speaker 1: business experts, and researchers from other fields around problems that
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  Speaker 1: demand multiple forms of expertise. The first four major challenge
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  Speaker 1: areas provide a window into the university's priorities. They include
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  Speaker 1: human health and biological discovery, national security and strategic capabilities,
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  Speaker 1: energy and climate resilience, and advanced manufacturing and industrial transformation.
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  Speaker 1: Each category is broad enough to contain numerous research disciplines,
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  Speaker 1: but specific enough to create a common mission for students
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  Speaker 1: and faculty. Consider human health. Medical challenges increasingly involve technology, biology,
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  Speaker 1: data analysis, artificial intelligence, and engineering at the same time.
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  Speaker 1: Developing better treatments may depend not only on understanding a disease,
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  Speaker 1: but also on creating new biological materials, modeling complex biological systems,
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  Speaker 1: improving medical devices, and finding more efficient ways to analyze
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  Speaker 1: enormous amounts of information. Under the CMU Miami approach, those
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  Speaker 1: areas would not necessarily operate as separate academic worlds. they
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  Speaker 1: could be brought together around the practical objective of improving
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  Speaker 1: human health. The same principle applies to climate resilience. Preparing
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  Speaker 1: cities and communities for extreme weather requires far more than
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  Speaker 1: one scientific discipline. It can involve energy systems, infrastructure, forecasting,
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  Speaker 1: data science, engineering, finance, urban planning, and public policy. Miami
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  Speaker 1: itself offers a particularly relevant environment for that kind of
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  Speaker 1: work because the region faces questions about climate, infrastructure, and
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  Speaker 1: resilience that have both local and global significance. National security
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  Speaker 1: represents another important pillar. Carnegie Mellon has longstanding expertise in cybersecurity,
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  Speaker 1: artificial intelligence, robotics, and other technologies that increasingly affect national
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  Speaker 1: defense and critical infrastructure. The Miami campus could combine those
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  Speaker 1: technical capabilities with research into strategy and policy, and real-world applications.
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  Speaker 1: That creates the possibility of teams studying how emerging technologies
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  Speaker 1: can be developed and deployed responsibly while addressing rapidly evolving
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  Speaker 1: security challenges. Advanced manufacturing is the fourth major area. Global
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  Speaker 1: supply chains have become a major economic and strategic concern,
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  Speaker 1: while manufacturers are increasingly incorporating robotics, artificial intelligence, advanced materials,
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  Speaker 1: and automated systems into their operations. A research environment focused
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  Speaker 1: on industrial transformation could bring together technology developers, engineers, manufacturers,
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  Speaker 1: and policymakers to examine how the United States can remain
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  Speaker 1: competitive as the nature of production changes. The underlying concept
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  Speaker 1: is that research should begin with the problem rather than
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  Speaker 1: with the institution's existing academic divisions. At a traditional university,
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  Speaker 1: A major research initiative may require cooperation across departments that
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  Speaker 1: were built independently from one another. CMU Miami intends to
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  Speaker 1: reverse that sequence. Instead of starting with established departments and
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  Speaker 1: then asking how they can cooperate, the campus is being
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  Speaker 1: designed from the outset around challenges that require collaboration. That
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  Speaker 1: difference could have significant consequences for students. Rather than seeing
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  Speaker 1: their education as a series of courses inside a narrow
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  Speaker 1: academic specialization, students could have greater opportunities to work on
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  Speaker 1: projects connected to real-world problems. A student with expertise in
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  Speaker 1: artificial intelligence might work alongside researchers in biology or manufacturing.
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  Speaker 1: The decision to devote $ 2 billion of Ken Griffin's historic
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  Speaker 1: Carnegie Mellon donation to Miami is not simply a decision
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  Speaker 1: about where to build another university campus. it reflects a
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  Speaker 1: much larger bet on the future of the city itself.
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  Speaker 1: Over the past several years, Miami has undergone a striking
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  Speaker 1: transformation in the way it is viewed by investors, technology companies,
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  Speaker 1: financial institutions, and wealthy entrepreneurs. For Griffin, that transformation has
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  Speaker 1: also been personal. His financial interests, corporate headquarters, and philanthropic
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  Speaker 1: activities have increasingly become intertwined with South Florida, making Miami
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  Speaker 1: a natural setting for a project that he sees as
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  Speaker 1: part of the next generation of American innovation. Griffin's connection
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: to Miami became especially significant when Citadel moved its headquarters
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: from Chicago to the city in 2022. The relocation was
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: widely viewed as a major sign of Miami's growing appeal
• 17:13
  Speaker 1: to the financial industry. Citadel, one of the world's most
• 17:17
  Speaker 1: prominent investment firms, brought with it a large concentration of
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: highly compensated professionals and advanced financial expertise. Griffin's decision to
• 17:27
  Speaker 1: establish the company's headquarters in South Florida was therefore more
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: than a personal change of scenery. It placed one of
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  Speaker 1: America's most influential financial institutions directly inside a city that
• 17:40
  Speaker 1: was attempting to expand its economic identity. That transformation helps
• 17:45
  Speaker 1: explain why a university expansion makes strategic sense. A financial
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: center does not become a technology center simply by attracting banks,
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: hedge funds, or investment firms. It also needs talent, research institutions, entrepreneurs,
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: and a pipeline of highly educated graduates. Universities play a
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: crucial role in creating those conditions. They train workers, produce research,
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  Speaker 1: develop technologies, and provide places where businesses can collaborate with
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  Speaker 1: scientists and engineers. Miami has many universities already, but Carnegie
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  Speaker 1: Mellon brings a distinctive reputation in computer science, artificial intelligence, robotics,
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  Speaker 1: and engineering. That combination could give the city something it
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: has been trying to develop for years. a deeper connection
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: between financial capital and technological innovation. The timing is also significant.
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: The industries that have helped define Miami's economic rise are
• 18:46
  Speaker 1: increasingly being transformed by technology. Financial firms depend heavily on computing,
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: artificial intelligence, data analysis, cybersecurity, and sophisticated mathematical systems. Healthcare
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: is becoming more dependent on advanced data and biological technologies.
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: Manufacturing is being reshaped by automation and robotics. Climate resilience
• 19:12
  Speaker 1: has become a major concern for cities, investors, and governments.
• 19:17
  Speaker 1: National security is increasingly linked to digital infrastructure and emerging technologies.
• 19:23
  Speaker 1: In other words, Many of the challenges that CMU Miami
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: intends to study are also directly relevant to the economic
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: environment developing around it. That creates the possibility of a
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: powerful feedback loop. A university attracts talented students and researchers.
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: Those people contribute to startups and established companies. Their work
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: creates intellectual property and new technologies. Companies then have a
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: reason to establish operations nearby while investors have greater access
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: to promising ideas and highly skilled workers. Over time, The
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: presence of a major research institution can help an urban
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  Speaker 1: area move from being primarily a consumer or financial economy
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: toward becoming a producer of knowledge and technology. For Griffin,
• 20:12
  Speaker 1: this kind of ecosystem appears central to the logic behind
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: the donation. His philanthropy has increasingly focused on areas such
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: as education, healthcare, and scientific research, and a substantial amount
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: of his charitable giving has already been directed towards South Florida.
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: The Carnegie Mellon investment builds on that existing pattern rather
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: than appearing as an isolated contribution. That distinction matters because
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: philanthropy can influence cities in ways that go beyond the
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: immediate beneficiaries of a donation. When a billionaire commits billions
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: of dollars to a university, the investment can become an
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: economic signal to other institutions and investors. It suggests confidence
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: that the city will be able to support the growth
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: of a major academic and research ecosystem over decades. Miami
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: is particularly interesting because its economic rise has sometimes been
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: described as a challenge to older American centers such as
• 21:10
  Speaker 1: New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. The city has long
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: been a gateway between the United States, Latin America, and
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: the Caribbean, with strong connections to international business and finance.
• 21:24
  Speaker 1: But attracting a research university with Carnegie Mellon's technological reputation
• 21:29
  Speaker 1: could broaden that role. It would add another layer to
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: Miami's identity, one centered not just on capital and commerce,
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: but also on scientific discovery and technological development. The scale
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: of Ken Griffin's investment becomes even more significant when the
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: focus turns to the field at the center of Carnegie
• 21:49
  Speaker 1: Mellon University's reputation, computer science. Of the $ 1 billion directed
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: toward the Pittsburgh campus, $ 500 million is dedicated specifically to
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: the university's School of Computer Science, which has now been
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: renamed the Kenneth C. Griffin School of Computer Science. The
• 22:09
  Speaker 1: decision to place such a large portion of the gift
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: behind computing reflects a broader reality facing universities, governments, and businesses.
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: Artificial intelligence and advanced computing are no longer niche technologies.
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: They are becoming foundational to how economies operate, how scientific
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: research is conducted, and how national power is measured. Carnegie
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: Mellon has spent decades building its reputation in this area.
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: Its computer science programs have been closely associated with artificial intelligence, robotics,
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: machine learning, software systems, and human-computer interaction. That history gives
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: the institution an unusual starting point as the global AI
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: competition accelerates. Rather than trying to enter the field after
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: the technology has already matured, Carnegie Mellon is attempting to
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: strengthen a research culture that has been working on many
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: of these questions for generations. Griffin's $ 500 million investment is
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: intended to build on that existing foundation while preparing the
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: school for what university leaders describe as a new era
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: of education, research and technological development. One of the most
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: important elements is computing infrastructure. Advanced AI research increasingly depends
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: on enormous amounts of computing power, specialized processors, high-capacity storage
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: and sophisticated networking systems. Access to those resources can determine
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: how quickly researchers are able to train models, run experiments,
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: analyze large datasets, and test new approaches. That makes the
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: investment in computing infrastructure more than a technical upgrade. It
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: is a strategic decision about who gets to participate in
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: the next generation of technological research. Universities can have brilliant
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: researchers and ambitious students, but without sufficient computing resources, their
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: ability to compete with major technology companies and well-funded institutions
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: can be limited. Companies such as major cloud providers and
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: AI developers can spend enormous sums on data centers and
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: specialized hardware. A university needs another way to remain competitive,
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: and philanthropic capital can help close part of that gap.
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: Carnegie Mellon intends to use the new funding to provide
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: advanced computing capabilities, including GPUs, servers, storage, and networking infrastructure.
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: Those resources could allow researchers to explore increasingly demanding AI
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: problems without having to rely entirely on outside commercial systems.
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: It could also give students greater access to tools that
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: were once available primarily to large corporations or specialized laboratories.
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: That access may become especially important as artificial intelligence changes
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: the educational experience itself. Universities are already confronting difficult questions
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: about how students should learn in a world where AI
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: systems can write code, generate text, analyze information, and assist
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: with sophisticated technical tasks. Simply teaching students to perform tasks
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: that machines can increasingly automate may not be enough. Institutions
• 25:25
  Speaker 1: instead have to determine which human capabilities will remain essential
• 25:29
  Speaker 1: and how students can learn to use AI as a
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: tool without becoming dependent on it. Carnegie Mellon's approach is
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: centered partly on rethinking how computer science is taught. The
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: traditional model of computer science education often emphasizes programming languages, algorithms, systems,
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: and mathematical foundations. Those fundamentals remain important, But the emergence
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: of advanced AI means the boundaries between computing and other
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: fields are becoming increasingly difficult to maintain. A computer scientist
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: working on healthcare, for example, may need an understanding of
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: biology and medicine. A researcher working on national security may
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: need knowledge of cybersecurity, policy, and international affairs. An engineer
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: developing autonomous machines may need expertise in robotics, computer vision,
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: human behavior, and physical systems. AI increasingly sits in the
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: middle of all these areas. That is why the investment
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: in Pittsburgh connects directly to the vision for the new
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: Miami campus. The two projects may be separated geographically, but
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: they are linked by a common philosophy. Carnegie Mellon wants
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: technology to serve as a foundation for solving problems that
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: cross academic boundaries. Pittsburgh provides decades of expertise and a
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: large existing research community. Miami is being designed as a
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: new environment where those capabilities can be applied to different
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: challenges and combined with the city's business and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: The economic significance of Carnegie Mellon University Miami may ultimately
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: extend far beyond the university itself. When a major research
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: institution establishes a new campus, its impact is not limited
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: to the students who attend classes or the faculty who
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: teach them. Universities can become engines of talent, research, entrepreneurship
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: and investment, and Carnegie Mellon is entering Miami with an
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: unusually ambitious mandate. Backed by $ 2 billion of Ken Griffin's
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: historic gift, The new campus is being designed to connect
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: education directly with the industries and technological challenges that are
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: expected to shape the next phase of the American economy.
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: The first and most obvious economic effect will be the
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: creation of a substantial new academic institution. Carnegie Mellon expects
• 27:58
  Speaker 1: the completed Miami campus to support more than 3,500 undergraduate, master's,
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: and Ph.D. students, nearly 300 faculty members, and more than
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: 600 staff members. Those numbers represent thousands of people who
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: will study, work, conduct research, and spend money in the
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: surrounding area. Their presence can create demand for housing, transportation, restaurants, retail,
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: professional services, and other businesses. But the larger economic opportunity
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: comes from what those people may create. A research university
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: can function as a talent factory for an entire region.
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: Students arrive with different backgrounds and interests, develop advanced technical skills,
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: form relationships with professors and companies, and eventually enter the
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: workforce or start businesses of their own. For Miami, the
• 28:52
  Speaker 1: establishment of a Carnegie Mellon campus could strengthen the supply
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: of workers trained in computer science, engineering, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity,
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: and other fields that employers increasingly need. That talent pipeline
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: could become particularly valuable as companies compete globally for workers
• 29:14
  Speaker 1: with specialized technical expertise. Artificial intelligence and automation are changing
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: the structure of many industries, while businesses are increasingly looking
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: for employees who can work across disciplines. A university capable
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: of producing graduates with strong technical foundations and experience, solving
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: complex real-world problems could become an important source of talent
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: for South Florida. The timing of Carnegie Mellon's arrival is
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: significant because Miami's economy has been undergoing a broader transition.
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: The city has long been an important center for tourism,
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: real estate, international trade, and finance. In recent years, however,
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: it has also attracted technology companies, venture investors, entrepreneurs, and
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: executives from industries that historically concentrated elsewhere. The arrival of
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: a major technology-focused research university could reinforce that shift. An
• 30:12
  Speaker 1: ecosystem becomes stronger when its components are close to one another.
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: Businesses want access to skilled graduates. Researchers benefit from companies
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: that can provide funding, data, equipment, and real-world problems to study.
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: Entrepreneurs need investors, employees, and technical expertise. Students want internships
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: and career opportunities. Investors want access to promising technologies and
• 30:39
  Speaker 1: people capable of building companies around them. A university can
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: bring all of these groups into the same geographic environment.
• 30:48
  Speaker 1: That is one reason the planned industry research laboratories and
• 30:51
  Speaker 1: venture studios at CMU Miami are potentially important. They indicate
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: that the campus is not being designed simply as a
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: place for lectures and traditional research. Carnegie Mellon wants companies, students,
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: and researchers to work alongside one another, creating pathways between
• 31:10
  Speaker 1: academic discovery and commercial application. The Venture Studio component is
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: particularly relevant to Miami's ambition to become a technology and
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: entrepreneurship hub. Research universities can produce ideas that never leave
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: the laboratory because researchers do not have the resources, business expertise,
• 31:29
  Speaker 1: or investment connections necessary to develop them. A venture-oriented environment
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: could help identify promising technologies and connect them with entrepreneurs
• 31:39
  Speaker 1: and capital. Over time, even a relatively small number of
• 31:44
  Speaker 1: successful startups could have an outsized effect. A company that
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: grows rapidly can create jobs attract additional businesses, and generate
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: demand for specialized services. Successful founders may reinvest in the
• 31:58
  Speaker 1: local economy, become investors themselves, or establish new companies. This
• 32:03
  Speaker 1: process can create a cycle in which one generation of
• 32:07
  Speaker 1: innovation helps finance the next. Carnegie Mellon has already demonstrated
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: the ability to contribute to entrepreneurial ecosystems through its existing
• 32:16
  Speaker 1: research and alumni networks. Bringing that model to Miami could
• 32:21
  Speaker 1: add another source of startup activity to a city that
• 32:24
  Speaker 1: is already trying to cultivate one. The potential impact also
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: extends to established corporations. For all the attention surrounding Carnegie
• 32:33
  Speaker 1: Mellon University's planned expansion into Miami, One of the most
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: important questions is what the transformation means for the university's
• 32:41
  Speaker 1: original home in Pittsburgh. Carnegie Mellon was not built overnight,
• 32:46
  Speaker 1: and its reputation was not created simply by having a
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: large endowment or by attracting famous donors. Its identity developed
• 32:54
  Speaker 1: over generations through research, teaching, and close relationships with the
• 32:58
  Speaker 1: city around it. Ken Griffin's $ 3 billion commitment now gives
• 33:03
  Speaker 1: the university an extraordinary opportunity to expand, but it also
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: creates a challenge. How can Carnegie Mellon become bigger and
• 33:11
  Speaker 1: more geographically influential without losing the institutional character that made
• 33:16
  Speaker 1: it valuable in the first place? The structure of Griffin's
• 33:19
  Speaker 1: gift provides an important answer. While $ 2 billion will support
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: the creation of Carnegie Mellon University Miami, another $ 1 billion
• 33:29
  Speaker 1: is specifically dedicated to strengthening the Pittsburgh campus. That means
• 33:34
  Speaker 1: the university's leaders are not treating Miami as a substitute
• 33:37
  Speaker 1: for Pittsburgh. Instead, the strategy is built around reinforcing the
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: original campus while using the new location to extend Carnegie
• 33:47
  Speaker 1: Mellon's reach. For Pittsburgh, that distinction matters. Carnegie Mellon is
• 33:52
  Speaker 1: one of the city's most important academic and economic institutions.
• 33:57
  Speaker 1: Its influence stretches well beyond students and faculty. The university
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: has contributed to the development of robotics, artificial intelligence, software, engineering,
• 34:08
  Speaker 1: and entrepreneurship, helping establish Pittsburgh as a technology center at
• 34:13
  Speaker 1: a time when the city was working to move beyond
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: its historical industrial identity. That transformation has been one of
• 34:21
  Speaker 1: Pittsburgh's most significant economic stories. The city was once internationally
• 34:26
  Speaker 1: associated with steel manufacturing, but as that industry declined, Pittsburgh
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: faced the difficult task of rebuilding its economy around new
• 34:35
  Speaker 1: forms of employment and innovation. Universities, hospitals, technology companies, and
• 34:42
  Speaker 1: research institutions became increasingly important parts of that new economic model.
• 34:48
  Speaker 1: Carnegie Mellon was central to that process. The university helped
• 34:52
  Speaker 1: create an environment in which researchers, Engineers and entrepreneurs could
• 34:57
  Speaker 1: develop technologies that eventually influenced industries around the world. Its
• 35:02
  Speaker 1: graduates became founders, engineers, researchers, and executives, while its laboratories
• 35:08
  Speaker 1: contributed to advances in robotics, computer science, and artificial intelligence.
• 35:14
  Speaker 1: Griffin's donation therefore arrives at an important moment in Pittsburgh's
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: economic development. The $ 1 billion investment could provide additional momentum
• 35:24
  Speaker 1: to an innovation ecosystem that the university has been helping
• 35:28
  Speaker 1: to build for decades. A major portion of that funding
• 35:31
  Speaker 1: will go directly toward computer science. The university's School of
• 35:36
  Speaker 1: Computer Science has been renamed the Kenneth C. Griffin School
• 35:40
  Speaker 1: of Computer Science accompanied by a $ 500 million investment intended
• 35:45
  Speaker 1: to strengthen the field. The remaining $ 500 million is more flexible,
• 35:51
  Speaker 1: giving Carnegie Mellon resources to pursue other institutional priorities. That
• 35:56
  Speaker 1: combination could have a significant effect on Pittsburgh's ability to
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: compete for talent. Research universities around the world are competing
• 36:04
  Speaker 1: for the same limited pool of elite scientists, engineers, and
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: technology researchers. The competition is especially intense in artificial intelligence,
• 36:14
  Speaker 1: where governments, technology companies, and academic institutions are investing heavily
• 36:20
  Speaker 1: in research. Carnegie Mellon's additional financial resources could make it
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: easier to recruit faculty, support doctoral students, expand research facilities,
• 36:30
  Speaker 1: and provide advanced computing resources. For Pittsburgh, that means the
• 36:35
  Speaker 1: benefits could extend into the wider economy. Researchers do not
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: operate in isolation. They collaborate with companies, launch startups, teach students,
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: and create intellectual property. When a university expands its research capabilities,
• 36:51
  Speaker 1: the surrounding innovation ecosystem can benefit. More research can create
• 36:56
  Speaker 1: more opportunities for commercialization. More students can create a deeper
• 37:01
  Speaker 1: talent pool. More partnerships can attract companies interested in working
• 37:05
  Speaker 1: with specialized researchers. The economic effect can therefore accumulate over time.
• 37:11
  Speaker 1: The challenge is to ensure that Pittsburgh remains at the
• 37:14
  Speaker 1: center of Carnegie Mellon's institutional strategy even as Miami grows.
• 37:19
  Speaker 1: Once a university begins building a second major campus thousands
• 37:23
  Speaker 1: of miles away, there will inevitably be questions about resources, attention,
• 37:28
  Speaker 1: and identity. Faculty recruitment could become more geographically distributed. Research
• 37:34
  Speaker 1: priorities could evolve. New partnerships could emerge in Miami that
• 37:38
  Speaker 1: did not previously exist in Pittsburgh. those developments are not
• 37:42
  Speaker 1: necessarily negative. In fact, the university's leadership has presented the
• 37:47
  Speaker 1: two cities as complementary rather than competing locations. Ken Griffin's
• 37:53
  Speaker 1: $ 3 billion commitment to Carnegie Mellon University does more than
• 37:57
  Speaker 1: expand one institution. It also opens a much broader debate
• 38:02
  Speaker 1: about the growing role of billionaire philanthropy in American higher education.
• 38:07
  Speaker 1: A donation of this magnitude can transform buildings, research programs, scholarships,
• 38:13
  Speaker 1: faculty recruitment, and technological capabilities. It can give a university
• 38:18
  Speaker 1: the freedom to pursue projects that might otherwise take decades
• 38:22
  Speaker 1: to finance. But the extraordinary scale of Griffin's gift also
• 38:26
  Speaker 1: raises a difficult question. When one individual provides enough money
• 38:30
  Speaker 1: to influence the direction of a major university, how much
• 38:34
  Speaker 1: influence should a private donor have over the institution's future?
• 38:38
  Speaker 1: That question has become increasingly relevant as wealthy individuals have
• 38:43
  Speaker 1: assumed larger roles in funding universities, museums, hospitals, scientific research,
• 38:49
  Speaker 1: and other public-facing institutions. Higher education is an expensive enterprise
• 38:55
  Speaker 1: and universities often compete for limited resources while facing rising
• 39:00
  Speaker 1: operating costs and intense pressure to invest in technology. Large
• 39:04
  Speaker 1: private donations can provide an important source of capital at
• 39:08
  Speaker 1: precisely the moment institutions need it most. From the university's perspective,
• 39:13
  Speaker 1: the advantages are substantial. A multi-billion dollar gift can support
• 39:18
  Speaker 1: scholarships that allow more students to attend. It can provide
• 39:22
  Speaker 1: laboratories and computing infrastructure that would otherwise be prohibitively expensive.
• 39:28
  Speaker 1: It can help attract prominent researchers with competitive compensation and
• 39:32
  Speaker 1: research resources. It can fund ambitious projects whose benefits may
• 39:37
  Speaker 1: not become apparent for many years. Because philanthropic money can
• 39:42
  Speaker 1: sometimes be more flexible than government funding, university leaders may
• 39:46
  Speaker 1: have greater freedom to pursue emerging areas before they become
• 39:50
  Speaker 1: established priorities. For Carnegie Mellon, those benefits are particularly significant
• 39:56
  Speaker 1: because the institution is trying to compete at the frontier
• 39:59
  Speaker 1: of artificial intelligence, advanced computing, and interdisciplinary research. Technologies in
• 40:05
  Speaker 1: these areas require enormous resources, from specialized hardware and research
• 40:11
  Speaker 1: infrastructure to highly trained faculty and graduate students. A major
• 40:16
  Speaker 1: private contribution can accelerate investments that would otherwise have to
• 40:20
  Speaker 1: be assembled gradually from numerous sources. There is also a
• 40:24
  Speaker 1: broader public argument in favor of such philanthropy. Many technological
• 40:29
  Speaker 1: breakthroughs begin in universities long before they produce commercial products.
• 40:33
  Speaker 1: Researchers may spend years investigating fundamental concepts without knowing whether
• 40:38
  Speaker 1: a discovery will eventually become economically valuable. Private donations can
• 40:43
  Speaker 1: give universities the financial breathing room to pursue that work
• 40:47
  Speaker 1: without demanding an immediate commercial return. In that sense, Griffin's
• 40:52
  Speaker 1: donation could be viewed as an investment in knowledge itself.
• 40:56
  Speaker 1: The same logic applies to education. A well-funded university can
• 41:01
  Speaker 1: potentially offer students more research opportunities, better facilities, and greater
• 41:06
  Speaker 1: access to advanced technologies. If the investment produces graduates who
• 41:11
  Speaker 1: later become scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, educators, or public servants, the
• 41:18
  Speaker 1: benefits can extend well beyond the original donor and institution.
• 41:22
  Speaker 1: There is also the possibility of increasing the competitiveness of
• 41:26
  Speaker 1: the United States. Artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, and other
• 41:33
  Speaker 1: technologies are increasingly connected to national economic power. Universities train
• 41:39
  Speaker 1: the people who develop these systems and conduct much of
• 41:42
  Speaker 1: the research that supports them. A major investment in technological
• 41:46
  Speaker 1: education and research can therefore have implications not only for
• 41:51
  Speaker 1: the university, but also for the country's ability to compete
• 41:54
  Speaker 1: in a global technology race. But philanthropy on this scale
• 41:58
  Speaker 1: comes with concerns that cannot simply be dismissed. One of
• 42:02
  Speaker 1: the most obvious is influence. When an individual contributes billions
• 42:06
  Speaker 1: of dollars, the donor inevitably becomes a prominent figure in
• 42:11
  Speaker 1: the institution's history. A school can be renamed in the
• 42:14
  Speaker 1: donor's honor. Buildings, laboratories, and academic programs can carry the
• 42:19
  Speaker 1: donor's name. The donor may be invited into discussions about
• 42:23
  Speaker 1: university priorities, even when formal governance structures remain in the
• 42:28
  Speaker 1: hands of trustees and academic leaders. The challenge is distinguishing
• 42:33
  Speaker 1: recognition from control. Universities have long accepted major gifts while
• 42:38
  Speaker 1: maintaining policies intended to protect academic independence. Yet the larger
• 42:43
  Speaker 1: the gift becomes, the more difficult it can be to
• 42:46
  Speaker 1: separate the donor's priorities from the institution's strategic direction in
• 42:51
  Speaker 1: the public imagination. That does not mean that Griffin is
• 42:54
  Speaker 1: dictating Carnegie Mellon's academic agenda. The university has its own leadership,
• 43:00
  Speaker 1: faculty governance, and institutional processes. But the scale of the
• 43:05
  Speaker 1: contribution naturally gives the donor a larger historical and symbolic
• 43:09
  Speaker 1: presence than an ordinary benefactor would have. The $ 3 billion
• 43:13
  Speaker 1: investment in Carnegie Mellon University has implications that reach beyond classrooms, laboratories,
• 43:21
  Speaker 1: and research programs. Once the university begins developing its new
• 43:25
  Speaker 1: Miami campus, the project will become part of the physical
• 43:29
  Speaker 1: and economic transformation of the city itself. The choice of
• 43:33
  Speaker 1: Wynwood as the site for Carnegie Mellon University Miami places
• 43:37
  Speaker 1: the institution inside a neighborhood that has already experienced dramatic change.
• 43:43
  Speaker 1: making the campus both a product of Miami's growth and
• 43:46
  Speaker 1: a potential force that could accelerate it. Wynwood has become
• 43:50
  Speaker 1: one of the most recognizable areas of Miami, associated with art, restaurants,
• 43:56
  Speaker 1: creative industries, entrepreneurship, and real estate development. Its evolution has
• 44:02
  Speaker 1: also made it a symbol of the city's broader transformation.
• 44:06
  Speaker 1: Neighborhoods that were once primarily industrial have attracted new businesses, investment,
• 44:11
  Speaker 1: and residents, creating a very different economic landscape. Carnegie Mellon's
• 44:16
  Speaker 1: plan to establish a 35-acre campus in this environment adds
• 44:21
  Speaker 1: a major educational and research institution to that process. The
• 44:25
  Speaker 1: university's arrival could reshape the area in several ways. The
• 44:29
  Speaker 1: most obvious impact would come from the physical construction of
• 44:33
  Speaker 1: the campus. Carnegie Mellon expects construction to begin in 2027,
• 44:38
  Speaker 1: subject to regulatory approvals. A project of this scale would
• 44:42
  Speaker 1: involve architects, construction companies, engineers, suppliers, consultants, and other businesses
• 44:49
  Speaker 1: over an extended period. The economic activity generated during the
• 44:53
  Speaker 1: building phase could benefit companies far beyond the university itself.
• 44:58
  Speaker 1: Once the campus becomes operational, the effects could become even broader.
• 45:03
  Speaker 1: Thousands of students, faculty, and staff would eventually spend significant
• 45:08
  Speaker 1: portions of their lives in and around Wynwood. Businesses would
• 45:12
  Speaker 1: have a new customer base, while entrepreneurs could see opportunities
• 45:16
  Speaker 1: created by the concentration of highly educated people and research activity.
• 45:22
  Speaker 1: But the economic benefits also raise questions about affordability and development.
• 45:27
  Speaker 1: When a major institution enters an already rapidly changing neighborhood,
• 45:32
  Speaker 1: property values can increase significantly. development can accelerate and demand
• 45:36
  Speaker 1: for housing and commercial space can rise. For investors and
• 45:40
  Speaker 1: property owners, that can be attractive. For existing residents and
• 45:45
  Speaker 1: smaller businesses, however, rapid change can create anxiety about rising
• 45:50
  Speaker 1: costs and whether they will be able to remain in
• 45:52
  Speaker 1: the area. This is one of the central social questions
• 45:56
  Speaker 1: surrounding CMU Miami. The university is arriving with enormous financial
• 46:01
  Speaker 1: resources and an internationally recognized name. Those advantages can create
• 46:06
  Speaker 1: significant opportunities, but they can also make the institution part
• 46:10
  Speaker 1: of a larger process of urban change that may not
• 46:13
  Speaker 1: affect every resident equally. The challenge will be finding ways
• 46:17
  Speaker 1: for the benefits of the campus to reach beyond people
• 46:20
  Speaker 1: who already have access to elite higher education and high-paying
• 46:24
  Speaker 1: technology jobs. One potential pathway is employment. A campus expected
• 46:29
  Speaker 1: to eventually support hundreds of faculty members and staff would
• 46:33
  Speaker 1: create jobs at different skill levels, from highly specialized research
• 46:38
  Speaker 1: positions to administrative, technical, facilities, and service roles. The university
• 46:44
  Speaker 1: could also contribute to the development of local talent through internships,
• 46:48
  Speaker 1: education partnerships, and community programs. Another possibility is entrepreneurship. Carnegie
• 46:55
  Speaker 1: Mellon's plans for industry research laboratories and venture studios could
• 47:00
  Speaker 1: create new opportunities for people who want to develop companies
• 47:03
  Speaker 1: around emerging technologies. A startup ecosystem can have consequences that
• 47:08
  Speaker 1: extend beyond the founders and investors involved. Successful companies can
• 47:13
  Speaker 1: create employment, attract additional businesses, and encourage further investment in
• 47:18
  Speaker 1: the surrounding regions. However, there is no guarantee that those
• 47:22
  Speaker 1: opportunities will automatically reach Miami's existing communities. Access to advanced
• 47:28
  Speaker 1: education and technology often depends on earlier educational opportunities. Students
• 47:34
  Speaker 1: from well-resourced schools may have advantages when applying to highly
• 47:38
  Speaker 1: selective universities and technology programs. Students from less advantaged backgrounds
• 47:44
  Speaker 1: can find themselves competing for the same opportunities without having
• 47:48
  Speaker 1: access to comparable preparation. That means Carnegie Mellon could face
• 47:52
  Speaker 1: pressure to develop partnerships with local schools and organizations that
• 47:57
  Speaker 1: expand pathways into its programs. Such efforts could become an
• 48:01
  Speaker 1: important part of the campus's long-term social impact. A world-class
• 48:06
  Speaker 1: research institution can produce remarkable technological breakthroughs, but its contribution
• 48:12
  Speaker 1: to a city can be even greater when local students
• 48:15
  Speaker 1: see a direct path from their schools into the institution
• 48:18
  Speaker 1: and and eventually into the industries growing around it. The
• 48:22
  Speaker 1: campus could also influence Miami's cultural identity. The most important
• 48:27
  Speaker 1: question surrounding Ken Griffin's $ 3 billion commitment to Carnegie Mellon
• 48:31
  Speaker 1: University is not how large the donation is, but what
• 48:35
  Speaker 1: the university ultimately does with it. Money on this scale
• 48:39
  Speaker 1: can build laboratories, recruit faculty, provide students with new opportunities,
• 48:44
  Speaker 1: and establish an entire campus, but those are only the
• 48:48
  Speaker 1: visible foundations. The real legacy of the investment will emerge
• 48:52
  Speaker 1: over years and decades. As researchers make discoveries, students enter
• 48:57
  Speaker 1: the workforce. Companies develop around new ideas, and Carnegie Mellon
• 49:02
  Speaker 1: determines whether its two-campus strategy can become a durable model
• 49:06
  Speaker 1: for higher education. That makes the donation a long-term experiment.
• 49:11
  Speaker 1: Carnegie Mellon is attempting to strengthen its established academic foundation
• 49:16
  Speaker 1: in Pittsburgh while creating a new institution in Miami, Oregon.
• 49:20
  Speaker 1: around some of the biggest technological and societal challenges of
• 49:24
  Speaker 1: the coming decades. The two parts of the investment are connected,
• 49:28
  Speaker 1: but they are not identical. Pittsburgh represents continuity, institutional experience,
• 49:34
  Speaker 1: and decades of research expertise. Miami represents expansion, experimentation, and
• 49:41
  Speaker 1: an opportunity to build an academic environment around a different
• 49:44
  Speaker 1: economic and technological landscape. The success of the strategy will
• 49:49
  Speaker 1: depend on whether those two elements reinforce one another. The
• 49:53
  Speaker 1: first major test will occur before the Miami campus even
• 49:57
  Speaker 1: begins operating. Construction is planned to start in 2027, subject
• 50:02
  Speaker 1: to regulatory approvals and and the university currently expects the
• 50:06
  Speaker 1: first students to enroll in 2028. Undergraduate enrollment is planned
• 50:12
  Speaker 1: for a later stage, with the first undergraduate class targeted
• 50:16
  Speaker 1: for 2032. That means Carnegie Mellon has several years to
• 50:21
  Speaker 1: establish the institutional infrastructure, recruit faculty and researchers, build partnerships,
• 50:27
  Speaker 1: and develop the academic programs that will define the new campus.
• 50:31
  Speaker 1: Those preparations will matter because a university is ultimately a community,
• 50:36
  Speaker 1: not a collection of buildings. The physical construction of the
• 50:40
  Speaker 1: Miami campus can provide the foundation, but its reputation will
• 50:44
  Speaker 1: depend on the people who populate it and the work
• 50:47
  Speaker 1: they produce. Recruiting outstanding faculty will be essential. So will
• 50:52
  Speaker 1: attracting students who are willing to participate in an educational
• 50:56
  Speaker 1: model that may look different from the traditional university experience.
• 51:00
  Speaker 1: The campus has been designed around major societal challenges rather
• 51:04
  Speaker 1: than simply reproducing the academic structure of Pittsburgh. That could
• 51:08
  Speaker 1: become one of its greatest advantages if it works as intended.
• 51:12
  Speaker 1: The problems Carnegie Mellon wants to address, human health and
• 51:16
  Speaker 1: biological discovery, national security and strategic capabilities, energy and climate resilience,
• 51:24
  Speaker 1: and advanced manufacturing and industrial transformation. are all areas in
• 51:29
  Speaker 1: which technological change is moving rapidly. None can easily be
• 51:34
  Speaker 1: addressed by one academic discipline operating independently. A successful CMU
• 51:39
  Speaker 1: Miami could therefore become an example of a university organized
• 51:43
  Speaker 1: around outcomes rather than organizational boundaries. That distinction could be
• 51:48
  Speaker 1: particularly important in artificial intelligence. AI is rapidly becoming integrated
• 51:54
  Speaker 1: into scientific research finance, healthcare, manufacturing, education, and government. As
• 52:01
  Speaker 1: these systems grow more capable, the people developing them will
• 52:05
  Speaker 1: need expertise that extends beyond computer programming. They will need
• 52:10
  Speaker 1: to understand biology, economics, security, engineering, human behavior, and public policy.
• 52:16
  Speaker 1: A campus deliberately structured around interdisciplinary challenges could be better
• 52:22
  Speaker 1: positioned to produce that kind of talent. but the experiment
• 52:26
  Speaker 1: carries risks as well. Interdisciplinary education can sound attractive in
• 52:31
  Speaker 1: principle while becoming difficult in practice. Academic disciplines developed specialized
• 52:36
  Speaker 1: methods and standards for good reasons. Scientists, engineers, economists, and
• 52:42
  Speaker 1: policy researchers do not always define problems in the same way,
• 52:47
  Speaker 1: and collaboration requires time, resources, and organizational structures that encourage
• 52:52
  Speaker 1: people to work across boundaries. Carnegie Mellon will therefore have
• 52:57
  Speaker 1: to demonstrate that interdisciplinary education can produce both breadth and depth.
• 53:02
  Speaker 1: The same issue applies to the relationship between universities and industry.
• 53:07
  Speaker 1: CMU Miami is expected to include industry research laboratories and
• 53:11
  Speaker 1: venture studios, creating opportunities for researchers and companies to collaborate.
• 53:17
  Speaker 1: That could accelerate innovation, but it will also require careful
• 53:21
  Speaker 1: management of intellectual property research priorities, and academic independence. The
• 53:27
  Speaker 1: university will need to preserve the credibility that comes from
• 53:30
  Speaker 1: open inquiry while maintaining strong relationships with private companies and
• 53:36
  Speaker 1: other institutions. This balance may become one of the defining
• 53:40
  Speaker 1: challenges of the new campus. Another test will involve Miami itself.
• 53:45
  Speaker 1: Carnegie Mellon is not building the campus in isolation.