I want to begin this month’s letter with an event that has a very special place on the university’s calendar. Each spring, USC hosts a formal dinner to honor Trojan veterans, their spouses, and members of our ROTC program, and this year, our keynote speaker was General David Petraeus, the former director of the Central Intelligence Agency. It was an inspired, memorable evening, during which we saluted more than 600 Trojans, including a number of uniformed and decorated veterans.
In his remarks, General Petraeus said, “USC stands out as a leader in the effort to support our country’s military families, veterans … (and) those who currently serve our nation in uniform and those who will serve in the future.” Coinciding with his visit to USC, General Petraeus published a piece in the The Wall Street Journal, in which he argues the importance of training our veterans for new careers. His well-considered op-ed accompanies this letter, along with some photos from his visit.
With this mailing, I also want to report on USC’s increased presence in Brazil. In February, I led a delegation of trustees and deans to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, where we met with education, government, and business leaders. During our visit, USC opened an international office in São Paulo, which will support student recruitment and learning programs, as well as collaborative research partnerships there. (In addition to São Paulo, USC has international offices in seven other cities: Beijing, Hong Kong, Mexico City, Mumbai, Seoul, Shanghai, and Taipei.)
During our time in Brazil, our Price School of Public Policy signed an agreement with the State of São Paulo, pledging to promote joint research and educational opportunities. In addition, the University of São Paulo signed a letter of intent to join the USC-led iPodia Alliance, an international consortium initiated by our Viterbi School of Engineering. This program uses high-bandwidth connectivity to create borderless classrooms at leading institutions around the world. The enclosed insert captures key highlights from our week in Brazil, and I hope you enjoy it.
As USC advances its globalization efforts, I also want to tell you about a stellar, highly innovative program that the university launched this year. Our Marshall School of Business created a first-of-its-kind World Bachelor in Business degree program, allying USC with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Bocconi University in Milan, Italy. Students enrolled in this program spend a full year at each university, and conclude their studies at the institution of their choice, allowing them to build a multi-continental curriculum that draws on three elite business schools in three different global cities. In their fourth year, students use technology to remain connected and complete class-wide projects. The students come from all over the world, and graduate with a degree from each of the three universities. This program is already off to an exceptional start: more than 1,200 students applied for 45 spaces in the inaugural class. The enclosed article by Distinguished University Professor Warren Bennis appeared in Bloomberg Businessweek, and will give you a better sense of the program’s mission.
As always, thank you for serving as a USC Ambassador. We sincerely appreciate your dedication to the university, and your commitment to sharing our successes with others.
Yours truly,
C. L. Max Nikias
President