Global alliance of leading technological universities to address global socie...( Seven of the world's top technologic...)

Seven of the world's top technological universities have come together to form the Global Alliance of Technological Universities. The Alliance brings together these leading engineering-based universities in the belief that one of the best ways to address global societal issues is through the joint and concerted development of technological solutions based on top class research in science and technology.

"Grand Challenges" identified by the Alliance include biomedicine and health care, sustainability and global environmental change, security of energy, water and food supplies, security, and changing demographics/ population.

The seven founding universities from Asia, Europe and North America came together today, 7 April 2009, at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) to formalise the set up of the Alliance. An inaugural forum was also held where senior representatives of the Alliance discussed the role of technological universities in the 21st Century. The event was graced by Mr Lim Chuan Poh, Chairman of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), as the guest-of-honour.

Members of the Alliance include the California Institute of Technology and Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States, Imperial College London and Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule Zrich (The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich) (Zurich ETH) in Europe, and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Shanghai Jiaotong University and NTU in Asia.

Dr Su Guaning, NTU President, said that the the Alliance will adopt an interdisciplinary and cross-boundary approach to address the issues of global concern by developing avenues for solutions through research collaboration and exchange.

"There is a strong external focus. The member institutions are linked by a belief that technology can make a difference in providing solutions to world problems; and by a desire to be active participants in the development of those solu
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