Cambridge-MIT Institute
Encyclopedia
The Cambridge–MIT Institute, or CMI, is a partnership between the University of Cambridge
in Cambridge
, England
, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
in Cambridge
, Massachusetts
.
It was proposed by former British
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Gordon Brown
in the summer of 1998, who wanted to bring the entrepreneurial spirit of MIT to British universities. Cambridge University was chosen as MIT's partner because of its strong record in science/engineering and the abundance of high-technology firms located in the Cambridge area (Silicon Fen
).
Funded both by government and industry partners, including BP
and British Telecom, CMI is experimenting with new ways of bringing universities, industries and government together to ensure that research findings are quickly exploited for the benefit of society and the economy of the United Kingdom
. This includes funding new ideas in research and education, and the study and assessment of knowledge exchange experiments.
Aiming ultimately to enhance competitiveness, productivity and entrepreneurship in the UK, CMI is also working with a network of partners across the UK, holding a range of events to share lessons learnt, to develop effective models for national uptake, and to facilitate the debate on issues ranging from the role of universities in stimulating innovation, to ways of teaching the new skills required by emerging technologies.
One of the major initiatives arising from the collaboration of MIT and Cambridge has been the development of silent aircraft
technologies.
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
in Cambridge
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
It was proposed by former British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
in the summer of 1998, who wanted to bring the entrepreneurial spirit of MIT to British universities. Cambridge University was chosen as MIT's partner because of its strong record in science/engineering and the abundance of high-technology firms located in the Cambridge area (Silicon Fen
Silicon Fen
Silicon Fen is the name given to the region around Cambridge, England, which is home to a large cluster of high-tech businesses focusing on software, electronics, and biotechnology...
).
Funded both by government and industry partners, including BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
and British Telecom, CMI is experimenting with new ways of bringing universities, industries and government together to ensure that research findings are quickly exploited for the benefit of society and the economy of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. This includes funding new ideas in research and education, and the study and assessment of knowledge exchange experiments.
Aiming ultimately to enhance competitiveness, productivity and entrepreneurship in the UK, CMI is also working with a network of partners across the UK, holding a range of events to share lessons learnt, to develop effective models for national uptake, and to facilitate the debate on issues ranging from the role of universities in stimulating innovation, to ways of teaching the new skills required by emerging technologies.
One of the major initiatives arising from the collaboration of MIT and Cambridge has been the development of silent aircraft
Silent Aircraft Initiative
The Silent Aircraft Initiative is a study being undertaken by the Cambridge-MIT Institute to discover ways to reduce aircraft noise dramatically, to the point where it would be virtually unnoticeable to people outside the airport perimeter...
technologies.