UC San Diego chancellor on universities as innovative agents of change

Dr. Pradeep K. Khosla is the Chancellor of the University of California San Diego and a Distinguished Professor. He is the chairman of the new University and Research Leadership Forum, an initiative of the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils. The new Forum met for its inaugural meeting in November 2016 and is comprised of over 40 university presidents and heads of research institutions. Recognizing the role of universities as drivers of economic growth and innovation, the Forum serves as a living think-tank on optimizing education and research enterprises for competitiveness promotion.

1. How do you define “competitiveness”?

Competitiveness is about spurring innovation for the global good. Our curiosity, our imagination and our desire to help people all drive our competitive spirit.

2. What is the role of universities in supporting global competitiveness in the 21st century? How is this changing?

Universities are agents of change. We advance the frontiers of knowledge and make discoveries that change lives. We create new technology, we conceive new industries and companies, and we contribute to the economic development of our communities and our nation.

The role of universities in supporting global competitiveness will continue to grow, as we are poised to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges. We have the breadth and depth of talent and expertise to address our increasingly complex and multi-disciplinary global issues, like food and water shortages, health problems and environmental concerns.

3. What are the key initiatives that UC San Diego is undertaking to foster innovation and engagement with business and society?

UC San Diego has numerous centers and programs that foster innovation and engagement with business and society. Examples include our new Office of Innovation and Commercialization and our new Entrepreneurs-in-Residence program. The von Liebig Entrepreneurism Center at UC San Diego mentors faculty and student inventors through the proof-of-concept process, and bridges the gap between laboratory discoveries and products that address market needs. The Basement provides students with campus, alumni and business mentors, guidance and funding to bring innovative ideas to life and nurture the entrepreneurial spirit of UC San Diego students. To complement these existing venture-capital accelerators, incubators, tech transfer and entrepreneurism centers on campus, we opened the Qualcomm Institute Innovation Space at UC San Diego so qualified faculty startups, industry partners and national laboratories can lease office or lab space on campus and promote commercialization of research findings.

4. Which new models for partnerships with business and society are emerging in the higher education and research landscape? Any global cases that deserve to be highlighted?

Most public research universities are relying more on philanthropy and industry / government partnerships given the decline in state funding over the past several years. These alliances are not new, but they certainly are strengthening and increasing. One example is UC San Diego’s collaboration with the City of San Diego through the White House’s Smart Cities Initiative which launched the MetroLab Network to pair university researchers with city policymakers to research, develop and implement projects that improve our local communities.

5. How different will research universities be in 20, 50 years from now?

The public research university was created to educate next-generation leaders, to conduct leading-edge research that advances our knowledge and addresses societal needs, and to spur economic development. This role has remained constant, and will continue to remain constant in the coming decades. What will change is the technology created, the industries that will emerge, and the classes we teach so we keep up with the evolving needs of our students and our world.

6. What is the role of academic institutions in expanding worldwide initiatives, such as the GFCC?

As agents of change, universities utilize their breadth and depth of talent and expertise to address societal challenges, and often times, through their own investigations and discoveries, bring attention to previously unknown issues that need to be addressed. Universities provide a home base for faculty, students and alumni who come together to learn, explore and advance the global good.

Left: Over 40 university presidents joined the University and Research Leadership Forum in 2016. Right: Dr. Pradeep K. Khosla speaking at the inaugural meeting of the Forum. Also pictured is the Hon. Deborah Wince-Smith, President of the GFCC.

7. The GFCC University and Research Leadership Forum aims at identifying and disseminating information on emerging issues and new models in higher education and research, through the lens of global competitiveness and transformation. What are you looking to achieve through UC San Diego’s participation in the Forum?

UC San Diego is a naturally collaborative, innovative and entrepreneurial campus. We consistently seek ways to do things better, and that means sharing ideas, discoveries and resources with each other and our partner institutions. Through this forum, it is my hope that we strengthen our existing partnerships and create new ones.