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Reimagining Higher Education as a Convener of Industry
By Thomas Poon, Ph.D.
As a convener of thought leaders in the Los Angeles community, we are pleased to welcome Thomas Poon, Ph.D., President of Loyola Marymount University, as the guest author of this week’s Business Perspective.
LMU once again proudly co-hosted the third annual Business & Education Innovation Summit with the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. This unique, collaborative event, which brings together leaders from diverse sectors across the region, also coincided with the start of inauguration season at LMU.
Times of transition are always ripe for self-reflection, and we at LMU are doing a lot of collective soul-searching, asking who we are in this city and who we want to be for this region. The opportunities and challenges facing Los Angeles, from AI and workforce transformation to persistent questions of equity and access, are far too complex for any of us to tackle alone. Yet despite–or because of–these dilemmas, I believe these questions about the future are ultimately hope-filled ones.
And in order to create tangible, impactful change, hope must be actionable and collaborative. That’s why I see LMU as a convener of industries: with employers, with nonprofits, with civic leaders, and yes, even with what we might traditionally think of as our competitors in higher education.
It was an honor to join fellow university and college leaders Beong-Soo Kim (USC), Ann McElaney-Johnson (Mount St. Mary’s), Juan Sanchez Munoz (UC Merced), and Alberto J. Roman (LACCD) for a panel on educating the next generation of leaders and preparing them for the world beyond our campuses. We discussed ethical responses to the proliferation of AI usage, the importance of industry partnerships in creating professional pathways and networks for students, and the transformative impact of higher education on individuals, families, and communities. While increasing attention toward students’ workforce readiness has been directed toward higher education, including at the federal level, our region’s institutions have anticipated this shift, already sharing ideas and creating opportunities that span campuses and industries. And together, we are forming and retaining the talent that continues to make Los Angeles the creative capital of the world.
As my colleagues shared, this is a vibrant, diverse, constantly changing city, which each of our institutions serves in distinctive ways. At LMU, students, faculty, and staff learn, create, and teach at the intersection of innovation and compassion, embodying our mission of forming whole persons for and with others. This is why “Hope, Made Here” is the theme for my presidential inauguration–but I also believe it is the key to creating a brighter future for the Los Angeles of tomorrow.
And that's The Business Perspective
View photos from the Business & Education Innovation Summit here.
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Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
350 S. Bixel Street
Los Angeles, CA 90017 |
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