This will be an important element of the Research University of the Future. It is an exciting moment for us. In industry and government, as in academia, people are developing increasingly specialized knowledge about rather narrow and specific areas. What is often lacking is a way to integrate this knowledge that is meaningful and productive. We work together to create new intellectual tools that can help transform industrial problems into global solutions.
New programs examine particular issues facing a single global corporation.
These intellectual partnerships, forged in an interdisciplinary arena, encourage stakeholders to address technological development in a societal and environmental context. Applying MIT's intellectual competencies to real world dilemmas creates educational benefits as well. New intellectual tools are arising from this alliance of disciplines, corporations, and governmental agencies. Social science perspectives contribute approaches to understanding national and global policy formulation, the sociocultural consequences of international accords, and the macro and microeconomic impact of trade policies. The management methodologies of organizational theory, supply chain management, and corporate finance suggest strategies for the implementation of technological solutions.