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GOV. BLAGOJEVICH
ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF HOMELAND SECURITY
FIELD OF STUDY AT ILLINOIS' UNIVERSITIES
TO PROMOTE FUTURE CAREERS IN THIS VITAL
INDUSTRY
$75,000 in State
Funding to Northern Illinois University
will Develop Course of Studies
CHICAGO - Continuing to deliver on
his commitment to grow the homeland
security industry, Gov. Rod R.
Blagojevich today announced the launch
of a landmark partnership with Illinois'
public universities that will introduce
homeland security as a new field of
study in higher education, establish it
as a mainstream academic discipline and
promote careers in an industry that is
protecting the public and spurring
economic growth across the state.
Leadership from the Illinois Board of
Higher Education, Northern Illinois
University (NIU), University of Illinois
at Urbana Champaign, Southern Illinois
University (SIU), Eastern Illinois
University, Western Illinois University,
University of Illinois-Springfield,
Governor's State University and the
University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC)
made the announcement at UIC this
afternoon.
"We are committed to fostering the
growth and development of the homeland
security industry in Illinois to help
keep our citizens safe and our economy
growing. By making higher education a
pillar of the Illinois homeland security
industry, we're ensuring the workforce
of tomorrow has the knowledge, talent
and skill to continue pioneering in this
critical field and ensuring a better
future for our citizens. While I'm
greatly encouraged by how vigorously
this young industry has grown and
advanced in just a short time in
Illinois, this partnership with our
outstanding public universities will
ensure we fully deliver on its enormous
potential," said Gov. Blagojevich.
Gov. Blagojevich, in coordination with
the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE),
is supporting the initiative with
$75,000 in Opportunity Returns funding
to Northern Illinois University that
will develop a core homeland security
studies course, and a web-based version
of the course, that will be used by each
of the partnering state universities.
The new homeland security field of study
program will also be supported by a new
scholarship program, generously funded
by Caterpillar, which will provide a
total of $25,000 in scholarships to
selected students at schools
implementing the new field of study.
Based in the idea that the development
of a strong and competitive homeland
security sector in Illinois requires the
participation of higher education to
prepare the workforce of tomorrow to
innovate and lead in this critical
field, Gov. Blagojevich is launching
this partnership with Illinois
universities to design, implement, and
support courses, seminars, workshops,
internships, and programs (both degree
and non-degree) for the student or
professional pursuing a career related
to homeland security in a number of key
fields, including engineering,
chemistry, biology and emergency
management.
The courses and programs will offer
skilled professionals a background in
the foundations of science and
technology of bio-defense, threat
analysis of biological and
non-biological weapons, engineering
defense, and counter-terrorism/law
enforcement defense.
"As a top-tier research university with
a comprehensive group of health science
colleges, UIC has many resources ready
to focus on helping Illinois develop its
homeland security industry," said UIC
Provost R. Michael Tanner. "Already we
are training emergency responders in the
School of Public Health, searching for
new therapeutics against anthrax in the
College of Pharmacy, and working on
teaching business continuity planning
for disaster scenarios in a joint effort
of the colleges of Business
Administration and Engineering. We are
developing programs that link the wide
range of interdisciplinary skills
required in the area of emergency
management."
"Education plays a critical role in
society's response to all types of
challenges," said NIU President John
Peters. "Public universities are
uniquely qualified to meet the
broad-based educational needs associated
with homeland security issues, and we
are honored to join the Governor, the
Illinois Department of Commerce and
Economic Opportunity and other
universities in serving those needs here
in Illinois."
"Gov. Blagojevich's plan to create a new
homeland security industry right here in
Illinois makes economic sense. To be
able to incubate this new industry in
our universities, to be able to train,
educate, and place our graduates in this
growth industry, will strengthen this
state's ability to attract public and
private investment in this field and
provide good paying jobs that will
encourage our graduates to stay and work
in Illinois," SIU President Glenn
Poshard said.
"Creating a homeland security field of
study at Illinois' universities will
fuel greater innovation in this
important area and allow it to act as a
greater engine of economic growth. I am
pleased that Gov. Blagojevich is willing
to invest in this field in order to
strengthen and expand professional
opportunities for our students. Western
Illinois University is excited to be a
member of this innovative partnership
that will help accomplish that goal,"
said WIU President Alvin Goldfarb.
"The Illinois Board of Higher Education
is delighted to be a partner in the
development of this initiative that
links the intellectual resources of our
colleges and universities with the
security of our citizens," said Judy
Erwin, Executive Director of the Board.
"The alliance of our public
universities, the Board of Higher
Education, and the state's central
economic development agency is a
powerful partnership that will serve the
state well and build a foundation for
future productive collaborations."
This innovative partnership is designed
to promote three main objectives at
colleges and universities across
Illinois in the long-term:
- To develop minors,
specializations, and concentrations
that focus on the integration of
homeland security awareness and
generalist skills in areas such as
food and agricultural security,
manufacturing and industrial
technology, IT and communications,
and biology and the life sciences.
Students receiving the benefits of
these programs are expected to have
a fundamental understanding of the
principles of hazard analysis and
incident management with respect to
natural disasters; disaster planning
and coordination; agricultural
bio-security; critical protection of
health care infrastructure; and the
political, legal, psychological, and
social aspects of terrorism;
- To develop free-standing
baccalaureate, master's, and
doctoral programs in areas related
to disaster and bio-terrorism
preparedness, supporting the
perspective that national security
represents a broad body of knowledge
needed for students entering a wide
variety of public, private, and
non-profit/non-governmental
organizations in Illinois and around
the world;
- To develop 18-credit-hour
certificate programs at the
baccalaureate level and
post-baccalaureate level. By
offering students who are graduating
with undergraduate or graduate
degrees in more traditional
disciplines the option of also
earning a Certificate in Homeland
Security, it will help them become
more marketable in today's
workplace.
"Gov. Blagojevich understands that
the workforce of tomorrow is being
shaped in the classroom today, and this
partnership is tremendously important to
providing a pipeline of leadership in
this critical industry so that we
continue protecting the public and
creating good jobs today and tomorrow,"
State Senator Rickey Hendon (D-Chicago).
"Gov. Blagojevich and I believe that
there is no asset more valuable to our
state's future than quality education
and, by expanding the educational
resources we offer our students, we're
also expanding economic opportunity and
helping prepare our young people to face
the complex challenges of the 21st
Century world," said State Rep. Arthur
Turner (D-Chicago).
The Illinois Department of Commerce and
Economic Opportunity's (DCEO) Homeland
Security Market Development Bureau (HSMD)
is focused on supporting businesses
engaged in the homeland security
industry. HSMD offers a variety of
investment tools designed to help
existing Illinois companies expand
operations and utilize available state
and federal programs and services. For
more information on HSMD, visit
www.hsmd.illinois.gov.
"Economic development is most effective
when it utilizes collaboration and
innovation, and that's exactly the
strategy behind this partnership with
our public colleges and universities.
Gov. Blagojevich understands that by
working together, we can leverage the
strengths of our state, partner with the
business and academic community to
commercialize new technologies and bring
them to the marketplace, and generate
new jobs for Illinois," DCEO Director
Jack Lavin said.
Gov. Blagojevich's Opportunity Returns
regional economic development strategy
is the most aggressive, comprehensive
approach to creating jobs in Illinois'
history. Since a one-size-fits-all
approach to economic development just
doesn't work, the Governor has divided
the state into 10 regions - each with a
regional team that is empowered and
expected to rapidly respond to
opportunities and challenges.
Opportunity Returns is about tangible,
specific actions to make each region
more accessible, more marketable, more
entrepreneurial and more attractive to
businesses. It is about upgrading the
skills of the local workforce,
increasing the access to capital,
opening new markets, improving
infrastructure, and creating and
retaining jobs. Opportunity Returns is
about successfully partnering with
companies and communities, both large
and small, to help all of Illinois reach
its economic potential. |
