Look to Michigan: The ‘defining public university of the future’

President Ono bends down to shake the hand of a student seated with a study group. Casual, fun interaction.

U-M’s blueprint for the next decade — Vision 2034 — leverages the community’s excellence at scale to confront the future’s most significant challenges, from AI and precision medicine to campus well-being and carbon neutrality. 

  1. Breaking and Entering by Eileen Pollack

    Hard times in Michigan

    Eileen Pollack’s new novel, “Breaking and Entering,” is a story of love, economic dislocation, and political extremism set in a rural Michigan that’s close to everyone’s home.

  2. Editor's farewell

    After six years, editor John Lofy is leaving Michigan Today. His goodbye column includes a list of his favorite articles.

  3. Creative block? Get out of your office and go for a walk

    New research by U-M’s Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks and Suntae Kim shows that walking and even gesturing with your hands enhances creative problem-solving.

  4. Obama visits U-M, calls for education reforms

    President Obama spoke at the University of Michigan to several thousand students, where he called on universities and states to do more to reduce the cost of higher education.

  5. Why is the universe magnetized?

    “We didn’t understand what mechanism might create a magnetic field, and even if it happened, we didn’t understand why the magnetic field is still there,” says U-M’s Paul Drake. “It has been a very enduring mystery.” But now it seems to have been solved.

  6. Big head, bad health

    Study: Even though narcissists have grandiose self-perceptions, they also have fragile views of themselves, and often resort to aggression when their sense of superiority is threatened,

‘Gateway for innovation’

The University of Michigan Center for Innovation (UMCI) in Detroit is expected to open in spring 2027. The building broke ground in December and preliminary site work has been ongoing. “The UMCI is a catalyst for positive change and, as such, presents itself along Grand River Avenue as a ‘gateway for innovation,’” said Hana Kassem, FAIA, Design Principal, Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF). The first two floors will house public programs, a cafe, and shared office space for the U-M Detroit Center, Admissions Office, School of Environment and Sustainability Clinic, and others. Levels three through six are planned for multidisciplinary graduate research. Watch: MCI design approved, construction ramps up. (All images by Kohn Pedersen Fox.)

 

 

  • Engaging the passerby

    “The UMCI design proudly bears the University of Michigan spirit focusing on progress and inclusivity, which is embodied in its dynamic forward-leaning form and the portal that cuts through it, inviting access to all,” said KPF’s Kassem. “Its transparent facade at street level engages the passerby, showcasing innovation, by putting making and research on display.”

     

    Modern office building

  • Ground breaking

    The project broke ground in December at the intersection of Grand River Avenue and West Columbia Street. The proposed 200,000-gross-square-foot building will be the first of three buildings to be constructed on the site, with the other two — an incubator space and a residential building — developed at a future date.

    Aerial view of proposed UMCI

  • Mixed models

    UMCI will be a world-class research, education, and entrepreneurship center designed to advance innovation and community development that will propel  job creation and inclusive economic growth. Programming at the UMCI will offer a mixed-model approach that includes both master’s degrees and workforce development programs that focus on technology and innovation.

    People sit at tables in modern courtyard

  • Open doors

    UMCI also will host a multitude of community engagement activities for the residents of Detroit, ranging from K-12 programs like the Michigan Engineering Zone to the Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project and many more.

    Interactive, creative lab

  • Catalyst for growth

    “UMCI will bring together the best of the University of Michigan to catalyze economic development in the city of Detroit,” said U-M Provost Laurie McCauley. “It will house a robust portfolio of academic programs, including new interdisciplinary graduate degrees and certificate programs aligned to the skills of the future.” The ultimate goal is to attract startups as well as major employers to the region, she said. Read more about the UMCI.

    Atrium filled with people in a modern office building