UW and Tsinghua University of Beijing are partnering on a new graduate institute in Bellevue that will focus on technology and innovation. The Global Innovation Exchange, or GIX, will be located in the Spring District in the Bel-Red Corridor. Microsoft is donating $40 million in support to jump-start the effort. This partnership is unique in that it is the first time a Chinese research university has established a physical presence in the U.S.
GIX will open its doors in the fall of 2016 with an inaugural master’s degree in technology innovation, and will grow with additional degree and certificate programs and fields of study over the next decade.