14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has announced a donation of $10 million to the University of Washington, which will help build a new Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) building and double the number of degrees awarded annually.
Microsoft has always been one of the companies that called for investments in the computer science education sector, explaining that the lack of jobs in the industry is forcing it to look overseas for employees that would have otherwise come from the United States.
According to a research conducted by the Washington Student Achievement Council, Washington alone needs to produce no less than 2,760 bachelor’s degrees annually just to meet the projected employer demand, so it’s pretty clear that investments in this regard need to continue.
Double the number of annual degrees
The new building will complete the Paul G. Allen Center for Computer Science & Engineering and will help double the number of degrees awarded annually from 300 to 600, officials of the university say. A total of $110 million in funding is needed to build the new 130,000 square foot facility, they add.
Microsoft is the first corporation that joins the funding program and says that more tech companies should donate money for the new computer science and engineering center because everyone would benefit from it once it opens its doors.
“This is an investment in students who will become the innovators and creators of tomorrow,” Microsoft General Counsel and Executive Vice President Brad Smith says. “We hope this first corporate commitment to a new UW CSE building inspires others - individual donors, companies and those in state government - to support a project vital to the future of our state.”
“UW graduates are a source of talent for Microsoft and our extensive research collaborations benefit the region’s computer science prowess. All of us at Microsoft want to see their computer science program continue to grow and thrive,” Jeannette Wing, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Research, points out.
The University of Washington is currently the biggest supplier of computer science graduates in the state and is running at full capacity because of the high demand for tech workers. Some changes have been made in order to fit more people, and the graduation celebration, for instance, now takes place in the basketball arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion to accommodate more than 1,200 people.