What are we racing toward?What are we racing toward?

Panel: Industry-Academic Partnerships Panel: Industry-Academic Partnerships for Education: Challenges and Models for Education: Challenges and Models

for Mutual Engagementfor Mutual Engagement

John C. Thomas

IBM T. J. Watson Research Center

February 1, 2008

Winter Park, Colorado

Business Industry PartnershipBusiness Industry Partnership

Making “contact” with real-world Making “contact” with real-world problems is useful, problems is useful, especiallyespecially in HCI in HCI

There is no “frictionless surface” in HCIThere is no “frictionless surface” in HCI

However…However…

Academia should not become another Academia should not become another subsidiary of Corporamaniasubsidiary of Corporamania

Corporations….Corporations….Have the rights of individuals. Have the rights of individuals.

Far more wealth and power than most Far more wealth and power than most individuals.individuals.

And very few responsibilities (except to And very few responsibilities (except to increase their wealth).increase their wealth).– Even increasing wealth is typically measured Even increasing wealth is typically measured

quarterly or annually.quarterly or annually.

CEOs who insist too much on “corporate CEOs who insist too much on “corporate citizenship” will be replaced.citizenship” will be replaced.

Example….Example….

Some characters in the “public” Some characters in the “public” domain appropriated by Disney.domain appropriated by Disney.

Moreover…Moreover…The days of dominance by “long-The days of dominance by “long-term” investors are gone.term” investors are gone.Short term profits drive the CEO.Short term profits drive the CEO.And, if they do not, the CEO will be And, if they do not, the CEO will be replaced with one who replaced with one who will will be driven be driven by short term profits.by short term profits.This is not an atmosphere that This is not an atmosphere that encourages true out of the box encourages true out of the box thinking.thinking.

In Execu-speak, people are In Execu-speak, people are incented to look for: incented to look for:

““Low-hanging fruit”Low-hanging fruit”

““Quick wins” Quick wins”

Enhanced financial position throughEnhanced financial position through– Changes in regulationsChanges in regulations– Better marketingBetter marketing– Cheaper laborCheaper labor– Surface differentiationSurface differentiation