ASU engages Ireland for debate on higher ed's future
<p>Arizona State University is headed to Ireland to help the country define a new era for higher education.</p><separator></separator><p>ASU and Dublin City University will co-host a joint conference “Re-Inventing the University: Creating a New Vision” on June 15-16, in Dublin, Ireland.</p><separator></separator><p>The conference will explore higher education in Ireland and two major interlinked themes for the future: interdisciplinarity and social embeddedness. In addition to academic experts from both universities, leading policymakers in Ireland also will engage in the discussion.</p><separator></separator><p>ASU President Michael Crow, who has established several major interdisciplinary research initiatives at the university and more than a dozen new interdisciplinary schools since 2002, will be a featured keynote speaker.</p><separator></separator><p>“There is a compelling argument that the traditional disciplinary boundaries, which have compartmentalized knowledge generation for hundreds of years, are now providing diminishing returns,” Crow said. “Universities must take a problem-solving approach that requires faculty to move beyond their conventional borders and think and innovate in new and exciting ways.”</p><separator></separator><p>Businesses, local and regional communities are also playing an increasingly important role for universities and they expect a commitment from “their” university to social and economic development, Crow said.</p><separator></separator><p>Dublin City University is a young university with extensive teaching and research facilities in business, science, electronics, computer technology, communications and languages, serving as a change agent in its local community. Its degree programs were also the first to be interdisciplinary in the Irish education system. For more information on Dublin City University, visit <a href="http://www.dcu.ie/">http://www.dcu.ie/</a>.</p><separator></separator><… information about the conference is online at: <a href="http://www.dcu.ie.conferences/re-inventing-the-university/index.shtml">… />Kathryn Mohrman, <a href="mailto:kmohrman@asu.edu">kmohrman@asu.edu</a><br /> Director of University Design Consortium, School of Public Programs<br />602-496-0463</p>