Introducing Nano-Link

Filed in archive Institutions on November 7, 2008

A group of Midwestern schools have joined together to establish a nanotech education partnership called the Midwest Regional Center for Nanotechnology Education, or Nano-Link, which will be funded by a $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

The schools are Chippewa Valley Technical College, Harper Community College, Lansing Community College, Minnesota State Community and Technical College, North Dakota State College of Science and Dakota County Technical College - along with Northwestern University and the University of Minnesota.

According to Sun Newspapers' Katie Mintz, the colleges are currently at various stages of implementation. "Harper Community College in Palatine, Ill., just began its nanoscience program this fall with 21 students," she writes. "Lansing Community College in Lansing, Mich., hasn't yet launched one. minnesota State Community and Technical College in Moorhead and North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton will share a program. Chippewa Valley Technical College in Chippewa Falls has had a program for a few years."

"National Science Foundation researchers estimated in 2001 that there will be 7 million jobs in nanotechnology and related fields worldwide by 2015," writes the Lansing State Journal's Matthew Miller. "A more recent estimate from the European Commission anticipated 10 million jobs by 2014."

The image above is from Dakota County Technical College.