Since taking his leadership role in August, Dean Dan Huttenlocher has been actively shaping the strategic framework of the innovative MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing. He provides valuable insights into the establishment progress and reveals exciting details about the future campus vision for this pioneering artificial intelligence education hub.
Q: Could you share the current status of the college's development?
A: Our team has been intensely focused on crafting a comprehensive organizational strategy for the college, building upon last spring's College of Computing Task Force Working Group reports, alongside extensive consultations with department heads, school leadership, the Faculty Policy Committee, and numerous other stakeholders. This collaborative process has been evolutionary, resulting in a detailed 20-page blueprint that has undergone significant refinements based on valuable community feedback.
The most recent iteration of our strategic plan was unveiled at the Institute Faculty meeting last Wednesday. The document was distributed to the entire faculty approximately three weeks ago and also shared with student representatives. We plan to release it to the broader MIT community once we've incorporated additional faculty input, with the goal of establishing the college's foundational structure by January.
While we anticipate ongoing adjustments to our organizational framework as we evolve, I'm particularly enthusiastic about advancing into the implementation phase. Certain initiatives have already commenced, including academic programming spearheaded by Asu Ozdaglar and the launch of the Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing initiative, guided by David Kaiser and Julie Shah. Our journey is just beginning, with innovative curricula, courses, and interdisciplinary AI research programs set to emerge over time through collaborative efforts across MIT's academic landscape.
I'm deeply grateful for the extraordinary dedication and countless hours contributed by the MIT community toward planning the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing's future.
Q: Last year, MIT revealed the location for the college's new headquarters near the Vassar and Main streets intersection. What can you tell us about the vision for this facility, and when do you anticipate construction will conclude?
A: The building's prime positioning will establish it as a dynamic interdisciplinary nexus. This facility will accommodate faculty expansion while uniting diverse departments, centers, and laboratories that integrate computing into their research. It will feature versatile spaces for classes, seminars, conferences, and collaborative computing projects, alongside essential open areas where students from various disciplines can connect, interact, and innovate together.
Following a comprehensive selection process, we've selected Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) to design this landmark building. SOM brings multidisciplinary expertise spanning architecture, engineering, interior design, and urban planning. Their portfolio encompasses thousands of global projects, including some of the world's most technologically advanced and environmentally conscious structures, such as The New School in New York.
We're currently in the early design phase with SOM, which commenced in October. The new college headquarters is scheduled for completion in 2023.
Q: As the college's vision materializes, how has the academic community responded to these initiatives?
A: There's been widespread acknowledgment of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing's significance and the transformative nature of our initiatives. Peer institutions are closely observing our approach and implementation strategies, with several already contemplating similar reforms at their universities. No other academic institution is undertaking changes of this magnitude and scope; we're fundamentally reimagining academic programs that engage most faculty and students to prepare them for the computing era; revolutionizing how we develop computing education; restructuring numerous research activities to integrate computing and artificial intelligence with disciplines like social sciences, humanities, design, and arts; and prioritizing the social and ethical responsibilities in both our educational and research endeavors.
