Singularity University (SU), http://singularityu.org has just announced a new multi-million dollar agreement with Google to provide educational programs, innovation partnerships, and a start-up accelerator to help others understand how cutting-edge technology can effectively break down barriers to technology innovation. SU’s founding corporate partners include Genentech, Autodesk, Cisco, ePlanet Ventures, Google, Kauffman Foundation, and Nokia.
“The new agreement with Google is an incredibly important pillar in our efforts to increase global access and diversity for qualified candidates, regardless of their ability to pay,” said Rob Nail, CEO and Associate Founder of SU. “Google’s support will further help to break down barriers of access to the Silicon Valley network of technologists, business leaders, and investors.”
Google will provide $1.5 million annually for the next two years to help fund qualified and selected candidates for SU’s Graduate Studies Program (GSP) http://singularity.org/graduate-studies-program, a 10 week immersive experience to empower the best minds to use exponential technologies to solve the world’s greatest challenges.
While SU’s sponsored Global Impact Competition (GIC) winners will continue to comprise a substantial portion of the GSP class, the new Google funding will enable SU to make the remaining seats in the program available free of charge to direct applicants.
GSP participants are engaged in nine tracks of exponential technology development mentored by leaders and investors in the technology sector focusing on abating poverty and creating innovative solutions for healthcare, clean energy, water, education, and security.
For example, Miroculus http://miroculus.com in a GSP 2013 team project produced an accurate easy-to-use non-invasive, decentralized, operator-independent, and affordable microRNA detection platform for molecular data gathering, analysis, and interpretation.
MicroRNAs are small RNA molecules whose primary role is to regulate the expression of our genes in the cells. They can be found in body fluids such as blood plasma and serum that can provide clues about the patho-physiological status of a person. The fact is that microRNAs can reflect a person’s health status and can be used as biomarkers for various diseases, including cancer.
Another company Matternet http://matternet.us in a team project from GSP 2011 is using unmanned aerial vehicles to ferry medicine and other goods to remote places such as rural villages in Africa where people often have to walk 20 miles or more to a clinic to receive treatments as simple as blood tests or to obtain pills. Presently, the company’s drones are being used to fight against a TB epidemic in Papua New Guinea.
For more news on the GSP applications that are now open for the 2015 Graduate Studies Program, go to SU’s Direct Admission online application at http://apply.singularityu.org.