A university can bring limitless vibrant opportunities to the fibre of a place, both culturally and economically.

I was delighted to be included in a group including architects, UHI, Inverness College and Highlands and Islands Enterprise that took part in a three-day intensive visit to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) last week thanks to HIE's membership of the Industry Liaison Program there.

MIT is a world-renowned institution famous for its expertise in areas such as engineering and innovation, credited with 64 Nobel prize winners and inventions such as radar. It sits on a large campus in Boston, across from that other famous alma mater of many noteworthy individuals, Harvard. A healthy rivalry exists between the engineering school of excellence and the liberal arts culture of Harvard.

Our aim was to gain knowledge and ideas on the planning of a campus, to learn lessons and equally important, to learn from their mistakes. We had access to fascinating people such as Professor William Mitchell, who is responsible for the iconic architecture of some of the newer buildings like the Stata Center by Frank Gehry, whose design acts as a catalyst for informal meetings and encounters.

We also had a lively session with Professor Dennis Frenchman who spoke about his experience in the design of Seoul Digital Media City where design approaches and technology will be tested in a reinterpretation of the traditional Korean street. All departments, including the facilities team which is responsible for the day to day running of the operation from security to cleaning and catering, impressed us with their customer service attitude and loyalty to the college.

But the messages which made the biggest impact on me were, firstly, the importance of integrating the campus with the city and secondly, the value of strong links between business and education.

In many cases, campuses were established as separate entities, almost like small cities with their own services, even mail systems. However, strong efforts are made to work closely with the local community and often in rural campuses the academic and local communities, or "town and gown" are interlinked. Perhaps the new campus in Inverness should not be located entirely in one area but parts of it might be situated in brownfield sites in need of regeneration. Perhaps, students could reside in some areas of the Old Town which are crying out to be brought back to life.

All around MIT, students and professors alike are encouraged to turn their ideas and inventions into businesses. A whole department is dedicated to liaison with business and many of the flagship buildings are sponsored by philanthropists from business. And thanks to some lateral thinking from HIE staff, the Chamber of Commerce was invited on this trip. A good sign for the future.

Business News - only in Tuesday's Courier
High-speed house frames set to rock Highland market
Happy staff as hotel makes top 10

Printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend