Google will soon have a home at Ohio State University, thanks to a first-of-its-kind partnership between the tech giant and a public university aimed at invigorating AI research.
Leaders at Ohio State and Google officially announced the new partnership Sept. 29 at the university's Energy Advancement and Innovation Center, where Google will open a satellite office later this fall. Google officials said it will be one of the largest foundational partnerships between Google Public Sector – a subsidiary company that works with U.S. government agencies and educational institutions – and a university, and this will be the first Google space on any university campus.
"Ohio State’s new partnership with Google unites two powerhouses of innovation to create
excellence at scale for our students, faculty and staff and the state we serve,” Ohio State President Ravi Bellamkonda said.
While Google engineers will work from the west campus Innovation District, Bellamkonda said their work will be felt across campus. "Googlers," as Bellamkonda described them, will collaborate with students, staff and faculty on research, expand campuswide technology access and support the university's AI Fluency initiative.
John Horack, Ohio State's senior vice president for research, said the partnership will bring the best minds and best tools together.
The partnership will give Ohio State researchers access to Google's DeepMind artificial intelligence research and development laboratory. Google will also endow a graduate research ambassador program with Google Public Sector, which the university said is "a first-of-its-kind internship program" for students. The fellowship will recruit Ohio State students to work alongside Google teams to gain hands-on industry experience.
Google will also offer tools for students, including personalized AI assistants, career pathway tools and experiential learning opportunities. Bellamkonda said it’s not an exclusive deal, however. Ohio State can still use other AI tools like OpenAI and Anthropic.
Financial terms of the three- to four-year partnership aren't ready to be disclosed yet, Bellamkonda said.
“Our teams have been profoundly impressed with the people and the leaders and the scale of Ohio State University,” Matt Schneider, Google U.S. market leader for state local and education, said at the event. “Google has found a partner whose ambition to solve the world’s problems matches our own.”
Chris Phillips, vice president and general manager for geo and education at Google, said he is particularly excited for what this partnership can bring. Phillips is an Upper Arlington native and Ohio State Fisher College of Business alumnus, so this endeavor is personal to him, he said.
"Ohio State is standing out as a role model in this moment," Phillips said.
Higher education reporter Sheridan Hendrix can be reached at shendrix@dispatch.com and on Signal at @sheridan.120. You can follow her on Instagram at @sheridanwrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Google to open first university office at Ohio State for AI research
