If the 20th century was marked by the unprecedented acquisition and distribution of knowledge, the 21st century promises to accelerate the process. As the new century dawns, the store of human knowledge is doubling every five years.
Wondrous technologies lessen the importance of geography.
The economic imperative among the industrialized nations is innovate, innovate, innovate. Research and innovation have become acknowledged prime creators of wealth in the developed nations. The already fierce competition among the industrialized nations to develop new knowledge daily becomes more intense. Research universities are key performers in the United States' efforts to remain paramount. The UC Merced campus is expected to open as the university's 10th campus in 2005 with a combined enrollment of 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students.