The Syracuse University Infrastructure Institute is a unique interdisciplinary venture to educate and enable the next generation of professionals to create and rehabilitate effective and sustainable infrastructure. As the United States and the world face widespread deferred infrastructure maintenance and threats from aging or insufficient systems, there is a critical need for innovative and collaborative approaches.
Syracuse University responded by establishing the Infrastructure Institute, recognizing that traditional public administrators cannot be expected to meet this challenge alone.
The Institute will break new ground on developing talent, conducting research, and cultivating thought leadership on global and domestic infrastructure. It will create a platform for collaboration that builds on Syracuse University’s strengths and faculty expertise to provide ground-breaking academic programs and research on critical topics surrounding infrastructure. While public infrastructure is traditionally the domain of public administrators and engineers, the needs and complexities of modern public infrastructure require innovation and engagement from a broad range of disciplines, including:
- Information technology professionals and data analysts are needed, as infrastructure is highly integrated with information systems, and made efficient through data analysis.
- Architects and environmental design professionals bring vision to how infrastructure interfaces with the rest of the built environment.
- Business professionals serve a critical role in financing and managing infrastructure development, and in optimizing supply chains.
- For the public to better understand the need for infrastructure investment, communications professionals and journalists will play a critical role.
Infrastructure includes highways, bridges, tunnels, airports, public buildings, utilities, water treatment facilities, educational facilities, stadiums, performing arts centers, and other facilities contemplated for the public good, including emerging technology (e.g., “smart cities”). The Syracuse University Infrastructure Institute is presumed to be the first and only of its kind; searches reveal no other university that has integrated such a full range of disciplines with an infrastructure focus, including:
- Architecture
- Art History
- Communications
- Computer Sciences
- Economics
- Education
- Electrical Engineering
- Entrepreneurship
- Finance
- Healthcare
- Information Systems
- Law
- Management
- Public Administration
- Public Policy
- Social Sciences
- Sports Management
- Supply Management
For students, the institute will model the best of a Syracuse University education. It will encourage innovation and multi-disciplinary collaboration, and facilitate internships, research, and other experiential learning opportunities that set the groundwork for impactful careers.
For professionals and public officials, the Institute will offer executive education and thought leadership for developing and managing infrastructure in a complex environment.
We invite your thoughts, engagement and collaboration with the Infrastructure Institute. Visit our contact form to get in touch with us.