Alfred University President Mark Zupan recently had a pair of op-eds published in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
On May 11, the Democrat and Chronicle published an op-ed by Zupan titled “Why America should invest in national success.” The essay discusses the importance of creating an environment that fosters new ideas and innovation, and investing in research opportunities at higher education institutions to bring those ideas to fruition.
“We can thank government-supported university research for advances in medicine, space exploration, national defense, technology and natural resource management,” Zupan stated in the op-ed. A “mindset of welcoming many ideas, combined with investing in university research to convert ideas into reality, is a powerful combination that benefits everyone.”
An op-ed titled “What's better than gold for economies? Human capital” was published on June 22. In it, Zupan maintains that people are the source of a nation’s wealth, not precious metals like gold and silver.
“Human capital – the sum of skills, knowledge, and experience that individuals possess – is the dominant asset of advanced economies like the one we enjoy in the United States,” he wrote.
Zupan pointed to the economic success and vibrancy in communities across the nation that are home to research institutions. “Colleges and universities offer multiple economic benefits to the towns where they are located. They provide employment, training, and cultural enrichment opportunities to local residents, and they spend millions of dollars annually on local goods and services.”
