LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A new program at the University of Kentucky aims to deepen the relationship with some of the state’s leading industries.
“We've been planning for this for the last year-plus, putting together what we think is a stellar program,” said Landon Borders, UK Innovation Connect executive director.
According to Borders, the program, OneUK, already has three companies on board. The inaugural cohort includes Appalachian Regional Health (ARH), Fischer Homes, and Valvoline Global Operations.
With its partnerships, OneUK will bridge academia and industry, giving students a pipeline to jobs, internships and research, and giving companies access to UK’s resources and talent.
“We very much take our obligation to support the Commonwealth, the entire state, very seriously, so it was important to touch different parts of campus – health campus, engineering, arts and science, design, you name it, we're trying to connect with different touchpoints on campus,” said Borders.
The key objectives of the initiative are as follows:
For partners:
- Gain access to UK student and alumni talent.
- Access impactful research outcomes that positively impact partner businesses.
- Receive early notification and exclusive access to new industry-university shared spaces, labs and events.
- Attain recognition for high-performing partnerships and related gifts through prestigious events.
- Communicate business and industry needs and priorities to inform UK curriculum development.
For UK:
- Maximize talent pipelines for UK students and alumni with OneUK partners.
- Boost investments in student projects and collaborative research from OneUK partners.
- Augment gifts and support from OneUK partners.
- Expand the strategic engagement of UK departments and colleges with corporate partners.
- Enhance internal communication, coordination and collaboration among multiple colleges and units working with OneUK partners.
- Benefit from streamlined communication and support as OneUK partners.
Borders considers the program a win/win model for UK, its partners, and Kentucky at large. Plans are already in the works to onboard more partners in 2024.
“We see this as something we'll be doing each year, announcing and onboarding new partners onto our program until OneUK is one big happy family.”
