Four hundred influential leaders from higher education and the private sector, including Wayne State Vice President for Economic Development and Tech Town CEO Ned Staebler, gathered in New York City last month for the fifth annual Schools for Tomorrow conference hosted by the New York Times. 

The conference explored many issues including how big data is transforming instruction and enrollment, the future of large state universities, mental health and student safety. 

Staebler was on a panel called “Incubators: The New Face of Universities,” with the dean and vice provost of Cornell Tech, the new technology-focused campus of Cornell University. Pulitzer Prize winning reporter David Segal of the New York Times moderated the session. 

“I talked about the importance of a university in the economic development of a city, especially Detroit,” said Staebler. “One aspect is introducing students to entrepreneurship as a potential career path, preparing students for the new work world in which they will operate, not the old work at Ford for 30 years model.”

A theme throughout the conference was how to scale higher education to make it more accessible and affordable while meeting the needs of today’s economy.

 

Staebler said there was strong interest in what’s going on at Wayne State and in Detroit.

“Detroit is very much still something that everyone is enamored with. The rebirth of a great American city is a pretty popular subject.”

To watch the full session, visit nytschoolsfortomorrow.com/gallery/schools-for-tomorrow-0/2015-videos/1762.