Opinion Editorial
Studying Sustainability:
Cornell Conducts Research with a Global View
Cornell University is proud of its designation as the land-grant institution of New York State and is committed to reinforcing the state’s economic strength, quality of life, and cultural vitality through education, research, and outreach. We decided to join President Clinton’s Global Initiative University (CGI U) because we felt a responsibility, especially in these challenging times, to extend our commitment beyond New York State to the global community.
Cornell’s Center for a Sustainable Future (CCSF) is the focus of our CGI U Commitment to Action, and it’s an exciting one. We are investing substantial University funds in the Center to promote and advance scientific research collaborations across Cornell and with selected external partners, leveraging Cornell’s resources to help build a sustainable future for the world. We defined sustainability broadly to include the life, physical, and social sciences, engineering, and the humanities as they relate to societal challenges in three major areas: energy, the environment, and economic development. CCSF is a campus-wide “umbrella” organization designed to bring together many existing programs and to catalyze new efforts in sustainability.
Since CCSF opened in the spring of 2008, more than 125 faculty from nine different Cornell colleges and schools have joined in various CCSF sustainability activities. Twelve multidisciplinary faculty groups have won highly competitive Academic Venture Fund awards to launch innovative new collaborative research programs or convene workshops of Cornell experts and external partners. Twice monthly, CCSF hosted a topical lunch with faculty, students, and staff from across campus to discuss sustainability-related research. In collaboration with the American College and Presidents Climate Commitment Implementation Committee, CCSF awarded four competitive small grants in support of Cornell’s Climate Action Plan. We helped sponsor six workshops and conferences around sustainability themes, including the International Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment Biofuels Project, and contributed to eight major multi-investigator, multiyear proposals.
In summer 2010, CCSF will launch an annual event for small groups of professionals from across the globe. The Cornell Summer Seminar in Sustainability Science (CS4) focuses on a cadre of the most talented advanced graduate students and young professionals worldwide, bringing them together with key senior researchers and practitioners in the field. CCSF aims to provide a leading forum for intensive discussion of new work on cutting-edge topics in sustainability science, develop new opportunities for collaboration, and bridge the gap between academic researchers and practitioners in industry, government, and the not-for-profit sector.
Cornell joined CGI U because it is the right thing to do and because now is the right time to do it. But in return Cornell has gained enormously. Our involvement in CGI U has generated a renewed sense of excitement and purpose on campus and in our community. I hope more students and universities will consider joining us.
