September 20, 2005
UW President appointed to National Security Higher Education Advisory Board
University of Washington President Mark A. Emmert has been appointed to the National Security Higher Education Advisory Board by FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III.
The board, which consists of the presidents and chancellors of several prominent U.S. universities, is designed to foster outreach and to promote understanding between higher education and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Board will provide advice on the culture of higher education, including the traditions of openness, academic freedom, and international collaboration. The Board will seek to establish lines of communication on national priorities pertaining to terrorism, counterintelligence, and homeland security. They will also assist in the development of research, degree programs, course work, internships, opportunities for graduates, and consulting opportunities for faculty relating to national security.
Emmert said, “The Board will help those entrusted with our national security to understand the crucial role of research universities play in American life and culture — in education, international collaboration, faculty and student exchanges, and the creation of intellectual property. The more they understand research universities, the better they will be able to adopt security policies that do not adversely impact education.”
Director Mueller said “As we do our work, we wish to be sensitive to university concerns about international students, visas, technology export policy, and the special culture of colleges and universities. We also want to foster exchanges between academia and the FBI in order to develop curricula which will aid in attracting the best and brightest students to careers in the law enforcement and intelligence communities. “
The Board will meet at least three times a year in Washington, D.C., while individual presidents will often be invited to meetings of relevant working groups in the regions of their universities.
The Board will be chaired by Graham Spanier of Pennsylvania State University.
