Conference will focus on higher education need in Mich. economy

Representatives from the state’s three research universities will begin shaping policy initiatives concerning the role of higher education in Michigan’s economy at a conference at MSU on Friday.

Professors, economic development experts and education specialists take part in the conference, Creating a Brighter Economic Future for Michigan: Education, Talent and Public Policy, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Kellogg Center’s Lincoln Room.

Charles Ballard, an MSU professor of economics, will be a moderator at Friday’s conference. He said there is a growing sense from all directions that the time is right for change, and people are eager to discuss what the state needs to do.

“Everybody understands the state’s economy has not had great performance in this decade,” Ballard said. “Our institutions and our attitudes have been slow to react to changes for some time.”

In the past, there hasn’t been a large emphasis placed on education in the state, and jobs like those on the assembly line cannot be relied on anymore, he said.

The conference is sponsored by the University Research Corridor, or URC, a coalition of MSU, University of Michigan and Wayne State University. The URC has promoted its role in rebuilding the state economy since its formation in November 2006.

David Arsen, an MSU professor of educational administration, said the conference is meant to be an honest and open exchange of ideas.

“All the people involved recognize this is the single most important issue to the future of the economy in Michigan,” he said. “They’re eager to work together.”

Among the contributors are representatives from the Michigan Department of Education, Michigan Future Inc. and The Center for Michigan.

Lou Glazer, president of Michigan Future Inc., said what is increasingly defining economic success is which states have the highest concentration of talent, which is commonly measured by the number of four-year degrees earned.

“This is something we have to figure out if we want to grow our economy,” he said.

Michigan Future Inc. is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working on a transition to a knowledge-based economy, Glazer said.

Ballard said the collaboration of different perspectives is useful when dealing with fiscal and education issues.

“I think our universities understand they are one of Michigan’s biggest assets,” he said. “We are a state that has struggled economically, but we are a state with one of the best higher education systems in the country.”

Published on Wednesday, March 12, 2008