Class Size Doubled to Accommodate Growing Interest in Addressing “Humanity’s Grand Challenges” through Scientific and Technological Collaboration

Opening Ceremonies Launches Summer Program at NASA Ames on June 21, Innovative Program Welcomes Students from 35 Nations

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. – June 15, 2010 – Singularity University (SU) — the academic institution with the goal of preparing the next generation of leaders to address “humanity’s grand challenges” — today announced the second year of its Graduate Studies Program (GSP), and a doubled class size to accommodate 80 of the top students from 35 nations around the globe. On June 21 SU co-founders, faculty, industry leaders, and other VIP guests will welcome the new class of students at the program’s Opening Ceremonies to take place at NASA Ames Research Park. The Graduate Studies Program will begin June 19 and end with Closing Ceremonies on August 28.

Singularity University co-founders Dr. Ray Kurzweil and Dr. Peter H. Diamandis will formally introduce the GSP-10 class and introduce the students to their 10-week exploration of the convergence of science, exponentially accelerating technologies, and grand challenges. Dr. Larry Brilliant of the Skoll Urgent Threat Fund will keynote the event.

“The past year has demonstrated pressing global challenges, as well as a significant shift in the zeitgeist for exponential and accelerating technologies,” said Dr. Ray Kurzweil, co-founder and chancellor, Singularity University. “It is only through the scale of exponentially growing information technologies that we can meet these challenges.  It is our goal at Singularity University to foster a deep understanding of these technologies and through the team projects to directly solve urgent world needs.”

Ten Weeks of Study, A Lifetime of Innovation

The Graduate Summer Program is a ten-week interdisciplinary curriculum designed to facilitate understanding, collaboration, and innovation across a broad range of carefully chosen scientific and technological disciplines whose developments are exponentially accelerating. In addition to lectures and workshops with world-class leaders, students can also participate in hands-on excursions to leading Silicon Valley labs and companies, and exposure to NASA’s many technologies.

From more than 1,600 pre-applicants, the 80 graduate and post-graduate students in the summer program were chosen based on their level of expertise in individual “tracks,” demonstrated entrepreneurial and leadership skills, and their commitment to addressing and solving important issues facing our world. Taught by the leading minds in their respective fields, the GSP curriculum tracks include: future studies and forecasting; policy, law and ethics; finance and entrepreneurship; networks and computing systems; biotechnology and bioinformatics; nanotechnology; medicine, neuroscience and human enhancement; AI and robotics; energy and ecological systems; and space and physical sciences.

And the keystone of the GSP, the challenging Ten to the Ninth Power Plus (10^9+) group projects, are designed to positively affect at least one billion people within the next 10 years in five key areas. SU faculty chose five challenges for this year’s class: home energy, water, vertical farming, up-cycling, and space exploration.

“The biggest changes affecting the world today, such as the financial crisis, the growth of social media, medical technologies, aspects of climate change, are all rooted in accelerating and exponential factors,” said Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, co-founder and chairman at Singularity University. “Billion dollar companies are popping up overnight while century-old companies are folding. Our 10-week Graduate Studies Program is an extraordinary program for graduate and post-graduate students to understand exponential technologies, their projected growth, their disruptive nature and their ability change the world. Students gain a working knowledge of ten different “exponential tracks,” as well as take an interdisciplinary deep dive to learn how to better manage and navigate these technologies. This year’s class of students are incredibly accomplished and truly exceptional, we expect the effects of the GSP graduates and their 10^9+ projects to be far-reaching and positively affect humanity’s challenges.”

After a great inaugural Graduate Studies Program this summer, SU is readying to welcome the first Executive Program class on Friday. SU chancellor Ray Kurzweil will set the stage for the program in his opening keynote tomorrow evening. With world-class faculty, a inter-disciplinary, 9-day curriculum, and a few special guests including author Jonathan Zittrain, we believe the Executive Program is set to create a new standard for executive education.

Beginning with this first Executive Program,  Autodesk joins us the first annual Corporate Partner with a very generous donation.

The full press release is below. Stay tuned for news on open events and more during the 9-day program.

SINGULARITY UNIVERSITY PREPARES EXECUTIVES FOR IMPACT OF EXPONENTIALLY ACCELERATING TECHNOLOGIES

New Nine-Day Executive Program Focuses on How to Harness Current and Future Disruptive Technologies to Benefit Companies and Industries

World-Class Faculty and Innovative Interdisciplinary
Curriculum Establish New Model for Executive Education

Silicon Valley Software Leader Joins University as First Corporate Partner

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. – November 5, 2009 – Singularity University (SU) today announced the first SU Executive Program designed to educate, inform and prepare executives for the imminent disruption and opportunities resulting from exponentially accelerating technologies. Led by a world-renowned faculty and featuring a unique, interdisciplinary curriculum, the SU Executive Program is establishing a new model for how to prepare executives and MBA students to face today’s dynamic business realities. As part of the program, faculty, staff, and students will be encouraged to leverage social media channels to distribute content in real and near-real time, providing the entire world with access to the program’s exceptional curriculum. The SU Executive Program is scheduled for November 7-15, 2009 at the NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.

“Our Executive Programs are focused on educating C-suite executives in a fashion that allows them to understand what is in the lab today, and what is likely to make-or-break their businesses in the next 5 to 10 years,” said Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, co-founder and Chairman of Singularity University. “Today’s executives have a choice. They can bury their heads in the sand and rely on old ways of thinking. Or, they can immerse themselves in a program and conversation to be aware of the road ahead. SU’s Executive Program is designed to be insightful, inspiring and hands-on.”

The SU Executive Program addresses six fields experiencing exponentially accelerating change, including AI and Robotics, Nanotechnology, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Medicine and Human Machine Interface, Networks and Computing Systems, and Energy and Environmental Systems. The faculty includes some of the world’s most distinguished leaders in their respective fields: Dan Barry, Robotics; Christopher deCharms, Medicine; Michel Gelobter, Energy; Andrew Hessel, Biotech; Neil Jacobstein, AI; Rohit Khare, Networks; Stuart Kim, Biotech; Daniel Kraft, Medicine; Ralph Merkle, Nanotech; David Orban, Networks; Barney Pell, Networks; David S. Rose, Entrepreneurship; Melanie Swan, Future Studies; Dr. James Canton, Future Studies.

Participants in the SU Executive Program will gain an understanding of how disruptive technologies may impact their industry, explore growth solutions based on disruptive innovation, and develop response strategies relevant to their industries. They will also have an opportunity to expand their network of contacts and become part of the Singularity University Network (SUN), which fosters an ongoing community and develops and promotes follow-up activities.

“The SU Executive Program goes beyond the lecture and workshop models of typical intensive business programs and creates a real-world think tank for sharing knowledge and information,” said Salim Ismail, Executive Director of Singularity University. “We will use social media channels, including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, to distribute content from the program and foster a broader discussion of the key concepts discussed during the sessions. This model is an important foundation for increasing the global discussion around these key topics.”

The SU Executive Program is limited to a maximum of 40 participants, who are selected based on the level of achievement in their field, recommendations, and a personal essay. A tuition fee of $15,000 includes accommodation on the SU campus, all tuition and academic activities and visits to leading Silicon Valley companies. For more information on applying for the program, which will be repeated in February of 2010, please visit http://singularityu.org/programs/executive-programs/.

Autodesk Partners with SU

Autodesk, which joins SU as its first Corporate Partner, will provide executives with access to its state of the art technology. This will allow executives and partners who concentrate on technology to advance and drive change.

“Autodesk is focused on providing our customers with the latest software to bolster innovation and realize their vision,” said Jeff Kowalski, Chief Technology Officer of Autodesk. “In Singularity University, we see a shared mission and passion around preparing leaders to harness new and accelerating technologies. Based on the Graduate Studies Program and its innovative and interdisciplinary approach, we look forward to a long partnership as well as the exciting developments that are sure to come from Singularity’s programs throughout the next year.”

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc. is a world leader in 2D and 3D design software for the manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk has developed the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art Digital Prototyping solutions to help customers experience their ideas before they are real. Fortune 1000 companies rely on Autodesk for the tools to visualize, simulate and analyze real-world performance early in the design process to save time and money, enhance quality and foster innovation. For additional information about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com.

Autodesk, AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor, Civil 3D, Inventor, Revit, and 3ds Max Design are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.

ABOUT SINGULARITY UNIVERSITY

Singularity University (SU) is an interdisciplinary university whose mission is to assemble, educate and inspire a cadre of leaders who strive to understand and facilitate the development of exponentially advancing technologies in order to address humanity’s grand challenges. With the support of a broad range of leaders in academia, business and government, SU hopes to stimulate groundbreaking, disruptive thinking aimed at solving some of the planet’s most pressing challenges. SU is based at the NASA Ames campus in Silicon Valley. For more information, go to www.singularityu.org.