Professor Peretz Lavie, President of Technion-Israel Institute of Technology speech at the Dedication of Cornell Tech.
“A once-in-a- generation opportunity, to build a new university in N.Y.C.”, those were the words of Mayor Bloomberg in his invitation to top tier universities. I used these words when I conveyed his magnificent idea to a group of Technion Deans. I asked them to prepare a proposal for a new graduate program in NY, tailor-made to the economic strengths of the city. Between you and me, while I emphasized that this was indeed a once in a life time opportunity, I also encouraged them that “since we have a very slim chance of winning – be wild, use your imagination to build something original, new, out of the box.” And indeed they did.
Imagine, building a new university from scratch!
Prof. Skorton and now Prof. Polack and myself are eternally grateful to Mayor Bloomberg for giving us this incredible chance to fulfill every university president’s fantasy. This opportunity could not have come at a better time. One of the current most pressing issues facing universities and academic institutes world-wide, is the search for the best means to adapt to the fourth industrial revolution – the digital revolution – the Machine Age.