The Global Innovation Exchange (GIX) is an upcoming custom-built facility that will focus on science and technology studies at a location in Bellevue's Spring District in Seattle.
Two of the world's leading research universities, the University of Washington and China's Tsinghua University, are partnering to promote education among the new generation of innovators made up of students, faculty and other professionals from the world over.
Backed by Microsoft, which provided $40 million as foundational support, the GIX will first offer a master's degree in technology innovation and will be adding more fields of study over the next decade.
Future students at GIX will have opportunities to study more important and more relevant subjects. They will become the moving force that will use science and technology in search of solutions to global issues such as healthcare, climate change, energy, and urban planning, among others.
"Our support for GIX is grounded in our mission," posted Microsoft on its blog. "Microsoft was founded on the belief that technology can empower people to do amazing things. Today, our mission is to empower every individual and every organization on the planet to achieve more. This includes helping people tackle some of the biggest challenges facing our world today."
The launch of GIX will mark the first time that a China-based research university will place a degree program in the U.S. Tsinghua is a leading university that owns a number of major technology companies. Along with Peking University, it is ranked as the best university in China and also one of the best in Asia. It also has government connections since the country's last two presidents, Hu Jintao and Xi Xinping, are notable graduates.
"In the face of global challenges related to the environment, resources and health, we need to cooperate across national boundaries to find solutions," said Tsinghua University President Qiu Yong.
The partnership will also elevate Seattle's status as a major destination for pursuits on innovation. Tom Alberg, president of Madrona Venture Group, a venture capital firm, said that the partnership is "a great deal for the Seattle area. It will help bring more tech talent here and allow the UW to educate more Washington students in technology fields."
GIX will start off with a few dozen students when it opens in the fall of 2016. It aims to grow and have as many as 3,000 students within a decade. The first batch of students will be studying the Internet of Things and other areas such as smart cities and healthcare technology.
