U-I Engagement Outside Major Metros Workshop

Hosted by the University of Arkansas

This workshop will leverage diverse experts and recruit attendees from metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas across the United States. Discussions will include practical approaches that can be used by academic, corporate, government, and nonprofit groups in a community.

Attendees will assess existing national models, brainstorm new programs and ideas, and develop steps that can be taken to improve academic-corporate engagement in non-metropolitan regions.  Objectives are to advance university missions (teaching, research, service, and economic development), company goals, and local and state economies.

Topics for discussion will include:

• existing national programs that universities and companies use for research collaboration that can lead to economic development at every level
  

• successful (and not so successful) strategies for university-industry engagement
• strengthening graduate and undergraduate research
• technology commercialization
• career development and workforce pipelines
• global competitiveness and influence
• the importance of diversity and inclusion in innovation teams