华盛顿大学——清华大学合作的全球创新学院改变创新教育 How the Global Innovation Exchange (GIX) Is Changing Business Education in Seattle and China

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有什么重磅活动能吸引华盛顿州现任及前两任州长、微软总裁及其现任和前任CEO、华盛顿大学和清华大学的校长、及中国驻旧金山领事齐聚一堂呢？这就是2017年9月由华盛顿大学和清华大学携手创办的全球创新学院 (Global Innovation Exchange—GIX) 的正式启动庆典。它也是2015年习近平主席访问西雅图后中国和华盛顿州之间最重要的大世纪之一。

这个庆典标志着GIX由5年前的一个设想变为今天的现实。清华大学也成为第一个在美国拥有实体校区的中国大学。

GIX是首个以培养创新及创业精神领袖为己任的教育模式。两所大学的校长在开启庆典上指出，它是一座桥，也是一道门。它将华盛顿州和世界及学术界和工业界连接起来；也打开了通向前所未有的全球性创新合作和未来的大门。

GIX的成功基于全球学术界和行业界的合作。华大和清华是最先合作的两个学术伙伴，微软作为创始行业伙伴则提供了4千万美元的启动基金。两所学校的联姻只是这一使命的第一步——来自世界各地的其它8所大学和5家企业也同华盛顿大学建立了合作关系。

坐落在贝尔维尤的Spring District, GIX占地10万平方英尺的全新教学楼是以微软前CEO Steve Ballmer的名字命名的，内设多间教室、一个孵化器和最先进的创客空间。GIX大部分的课程都是为帮助学生们迎接现实世界的挑战而设计的团队项目，教师包括来自华盛顿大学和清华大学的顶级教授，行业专家将来也会加入这个队伍。

GIX现设有两个学位：一个是历时15个月、由华盛顿大学授予的创新理学硕士学位 (MSTI)，一个是历时21个月的双硕士学位，学生在修完创新理学硕士学位后，还需继续完成由清华大学授予的数据科学与信息技术硕士学位 (MEDSIT)。华盛顿大学的第一批学生（半数来自中国和美国）已于2017年9月末在新教学楼开始学习。在未来的10年里，预计会有3,000余名学生从这里毕业。

下次去GIX贝尔维尤校区时，别忘了去看看习近平主席2015年访问西雅图时赠送给学院的水杉，寓意着”十年树木，百年树人”。 Bellevue, 12280 NE District Way; 206.897.9050; [email protected]

A BRIDGE, A GATEWAY
The grand opening of Global Innovation Exchange (GIX) between UW and Tsinghua University is already a game-changer in innovative business education and practice, and it’s just the first step of an ongoing global partnership

Few events garner the attention and participation of the current governor, two former governors, Microsoft’s President and its current and former CEOs, Presidents from the University of Washington (UW) and Beijing’s Tsinghua University, and the Consul General of China in San Francisco. The grand opening of the Global Innovation Exchange’s (GIX) brand new facility in September 2017 was one such occasion—probably the most important event between China and Washington since President Xi’s visit in 2015.

The celebration marks the realization of GIX five years in the making, from an idea to a reality. It also makes Tsinghua the first Chinese university to have a physical presence in the U.S.

GIX is a first-of-its-kind educational model designed to develop thought leaders in innovation and entrepreneurship. It is a bridge and a gateway. The program connects Washington state and the world and between academia and industry. It’s also a gateway to unprecedented global collaboration in innovation, and to the future, as presidents from both universities stated at the grand opening event.

The success of GIX relies on partnerships between universities and industry from around the world. The UW and Tsinghua are the first two academic partners, with support from founding industry partner Microsoft (contributing $40 million dollars toward the program). The marriage between the two is only the first step of this mission—eight other universities and five other companies from around the world are forming similar partnerships with the UW.

Located in Bellevue’s Spring District development, GIX’s 100,000 square-foot building is named after former Microsoft President Steve Ballmer and features classrooms, an incubator, and state-of-the-art makerspace. 

Much of the GIX curriculum is designed around team-based projects to help prepare students for real-world challenges. Faculty includes top professors from both the UW and Tsinghua; industry experts may also join in the future.

GIX offers two tracks: a 15-month program for a MS in Technology Innovation (MSTI) from the UW and a 21-month program for a dual degree that combines the MSTI with a Master of Engineering in Data Science and Information Technology (MEDSIT) from the UW and Tsinghua. The first UW cohort (half of which are from China and the U.S.) began classes in the new building at the end of last September. More than 3,000 students are expected to graduate from GIX over the next 10 years.