By Josh Abner
The University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky recently announced a commitment to a joint collaboration between the two universities. Plans include U of L President John Shumaker and UK President Lee T. Todd swapping teaching positions, a joint Washington D.C. office in hopes of securing federal research funding and a high-speed research network between the schools.
Shumaker called the efforts “a good symbolic way to say we have aspirations for greater academic collaboration and cooperation.”
Todd and Shumaker plan to teach at the opposing campuses starting sometime next year. Todd will teach entrepreneurship at U of L while Shumaker will teach a classics course at UK.
“Beyond that, it is certainly possible that we shall expand exchange appointments for teaching and research to other fields [than classics and entrepreneurship],” Shumaker said, discussing the future of such a collaboration. “We already have very active exchanges in social work, library science, architecture and urban planning, lung cancer and public health. We want to expand those initiatives so that we can take advantage of each other’s strengths.”
The two universities have been increasingly more cooperative since Todd became President at UK on July 1, 2001. He replaced the retiring Charles T. Wethington. Since his hiring in January, Todd has met with Shumaker on at least four occasions to discuss possible cooperation between the schools.
On July 30, the universities announced the opening of a joint office in Washington, D.C. at a press conference with the governor. The office will specifically aim at competing for federal research grants.
“The federal government up there has got billions of dollars and they’re looking for ways to find people to do research for them,” Kentucky Governor Paul Patton said. “The federal government is not here asking us how they can give us money.”
The two university presidents plan to develop a joint effort and research agenda. In the future, this may lead to program consolidation between the schools. The research collaboration aims to draw more federal funding to their faculty and improve the quality of higher education in Kentucky, in turn benefiting the state’s economy.
“The real goal of this is not only do you increase research dollars, but you create more jobs, increase per capita income and expand your tax base,” Todd said.
One project that could aid in the collaboration between the two schools is the implementation of Internet II, a high-speed network dedicated to research communication. Internet II links 185 of the nation’s top research institutions (including U of L and UK) with industry and government partners. Plans include laying broadband fiber optic lines between Louisville and Lexington for data transfer.
Internet II “will be a major resource for our researchers,” Shumaker said.
An example of its capabilities is the Kentucky Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network (KBRIN). This network allows the students and faculty of the two universities direct access and exchange of molecular, genetic, genomic and bioinformatic information. In addition, students at other universities in Kentucky can gain access to this research via Internet II.
“Both UK and U of L have strong computer networks which now will become even more robust and will help to grow research in the sciences, medicine, and public health,” Shumaker said. While the two universities may be in direct competition on the athletic field, this academic cooperation benefits the entire state.
“When we bring a large grant into KentuckyÑwhether as individual universities or working jointly togetherÑthose dollars do not go to any other state,” Shumaker said. “They have a very powerful ripple effect upon the economy of Kentucky.”
“This cooperation at the top is a different kind of cooperation than you’ve experienced before,” Patton said. “We wanted to change the culture of postsecondary education in Kentucky and we have done that.”
