The point is not to do a high visibility public program and then stop. The point is to use the public program as a way of crystallizing the issues which then guide serious research and scholarship that continue over a period of months and years in that subject area. That is exactly how the bio-technology strand is working. Serious work on measuring public reaction to new developments in genetic technology occurred before the Changing Conceptions program in December. A working of major participants from the that program is refining its research agenda, and an announcement of further research is planned for the summer of 1998 as a follow up.
Similar things are underway with respect to information technology and environmental science.
Engineering, business and law students have the opportunity to take advantage of IIT's leadership position in the global and technological arenas, not only by taking courses but also working on policy issues, attending seminars and lectures, and participating in workshops and scholarship.