The opportunity? AI is everywhere. The challenge? AI is everywhere. The community-driven approach to maximizing the opportunities while minimizing the risk? The NET+ Google AI Education Leadership Program is a community-driven initiative that brings together ten universities, representing more than 325,000 students, to advance AI adoption responsibly and collaboratively.
This multi institution AI initiative is unique and different from any others you’ve been hearing about. It really captures the collaborative nature of higher ed and how NET+ serves as a workforce multiplier across institutions. I’m excited to see these institutions and Google work together to maximize the opportunities AI presents while navigating the challenges responsibly.
As Jennifer Sparrow, AVP of research and instructional technology & chief academic technology officer at New York University, observed, “Initiatives like Internet2 NET+ Google AI ELP are critical because they provide a trusted, collaborative space for institutions to navigate this complex landscape together, ensuring we can adopt AI confidently and effectively.”
Coming Soon! Secure and Reliable Wireless Coverage
The Challenge? Institutions need options for supporting smart classrooms and research labs, expanded connectivity for underserved areas, and enhanced outreach and extension services. As such, the R&E community asked NET+ to explore private LTE/5G and neutral host networking.
The community’s response? The forthcoming NET+ Kajeet offering reflects more than a year of community-driven work, including developing requirements, testing solutions, negotiating a business model and contract, and rigorously evaluating the technology. Learn more about the service and hear from your peers who helped shape it during the launch webinar on Nov. 20 at 1 p.m. ET.
Collaboration, Conversation, and Collective Knowledge
While I enjoy the excitement of announcing new programs and services (like these and the vendor risk service currently under evaluation), we couldn’t do all that we do without the support of community leaders and champions who work alongside our team every day. Together, we continue to strengthen the community’s existing foundation of collaboration and collective knowledge sharing. We will always be stronger together.
As Cloud Superhero Terry Fernandez observed, “It’s more important than ever for universities to share their experiences and collaborate. A vibrant cloud community enables us to maximize the value of our cloud investments, avoid common pitfalls, and create collective momentum for progress across the sector.”
Through recent webinars and townhalls, the NET+ team has worked diligently to provide forums for the peer-to-peer conversations Terry describes. In addition, the team stays in the trenches working with NET+ volunteers to create the most relevant resources for the community.
Whether it’s limits on human and/or financial resources or more priorities to address than you have hours in a semester, challenges happen. Community definitely helps. We encourage you to call on the community that stands with and for you. We’re here to connect you with the people and resources that might help you resolve the situation sooner rather than later. Chances are someone in the R&E cloud community has been there, done that, and stands ready to share their lessons learned along the way.
In this spirit, I invite you to explore some of the community-driven resources we’ve made available to you. On behalf of the team working with you to bring better cloud services to R&E, we wish you and yours only the best during this final quarter of the year. Whatever challenges it may or may not bring, the NET+ team and the community it supports are here for you.