Maryland's future is information

Finally, we need to greatly expand our workforce for such jobs. A proposal recently developed jointly by the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins promises to do just that. Entitled the Maryland Applied Information Technology Initiative, this proposal commits our institutions to launching a collaborative effort among all Maryland universities and colleges that will double the number of information technology graduates by the year 2003.

The proposal also commits the founding institutions to focused efforts in information technology with its incubators, applied research activities, and private sector partnerships.

Swift action

There is no time to waste. Many of our regional competitors have plans in place and are moving forward with implementation strategies. If we have the will and commit the resources, we can still be a winner in the national race for global leadership in the information age.

Think about it -- Maryland and the Greater Washington region as the center of the nation's information technology economy.

William E. Kirwan is president of the University of Maryland, College Park.

Pub Date: 10/22/97