Warwick praised for New York collaboration

Warwick has recently been praised for being the only European university involved in a global partnership aiming to create New York’s new ‘Center for Urban Science and Progress’ (CUSP).

[Announced on April 23](https://theboar.org/news/2012/may/18/warwick-high-profile-new-york-collaboration/), the global partnership has recently been praised by New York’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who believes it will have a positive impact on the city and its economy.

The CUSP will be an applied science research institute, led by New York University (NYU) and the Polytechnic Institute of NYU, along with a consortium of universities world-wide. These include: the University of Warwick, the University of Toronto and the Indian Institute of Technology – Bombay, to name a few.

As well as involving universities from across the globe, the project also includes several industry partners, from the American multinational technology and consulting corporation IBM to Arup, a multinational professional services firm headquartered in London.

Mayor Bloomberg praised all the CUSP partners. He said: “Last year, after speaking with business leaders about what resources they need to grow, we launched a competition inviting world-class universities to build new applied science and engineering campuses in our city, and the response really was stunning.”

“Together, these projects…will more than double the number of engineering students and faculty in our city – and we believe they will be a game-changer for our economy. They will create tens of thousands of new jobs.”

New York University President, John Sexton said: “CUSP has drawn together an exceptional group of educational and industrial partners to develop technologies to address an increasingly urbanised world.”

“Attracting partners of such calibre is a validation not only of CUSP’s core idea, but also of the Mayor’s vision to make New York a capital of science and technology. This is a great and proud day for New York and for NYU.”

The aims of the CUSP match Warwick’s own Global Priorities Programme (GPP) which seeks to apply research to global challenges. The GPP gives priority to areas that can make a globally distinctive contribution, while providing support for multidisciplinary and cross-departmental research at Warwick.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Nigel Thrift said (at the time the partnership was announced): “Warwick is a globally connected University and we are delighted to have the opportunity to work in and with New York, one of the world’s most exciting and vibrant cities.”

“The aims of the Center for Urban Sciences and Progress are closely aligned with many of Warwick’s own research priorities of manufacturing, energy, food security and healthcare. These themes all have significant impacts on the lives of 21st century city dwellers.”

Professor Thrift also emphasised the important role Warwick can play: “[Warwick] brings to this collaboration its long history of close working partnerships with businesses, which range from multinationals through to small and medium-sized firms, all of which benefit from access to the University’s technology and knowhow and apply that knowledge to create new jobs and expand their businesses.”

Warwick’s first action in the partnership will be to appoint four new academic posts which will then support the collaboration. The funding for these positions has already been approved as part of the University’s Strategic Development Fund.