Stanford mulls NYC engineering campus

Stanford University President John HennessyStanford University President John Hennessy will visit New York City this week to meet with local school board members to solicit support for the establishment of an engineering school within the five boroughs, Bloomberg News reported.

Stanford, which has declined invitations for campuses overseas, is one of at least 27 schools vying for the land and $100 million contribution the New York City Economic Development Corp promised to provide a top-flight university that brings an engineering campus to the city because of how different New York is compared to Northern California, where the school is based, Hennessy explained.

“There’s a much different focus on style, on arts and on media,” said Hennessy, whose board member meetings include one with Morgan Stanley CFO Ruth Porat. “It’s a very different environment than we’re in, and it can lead to lots of different areas to explore.”

The NYCEDC created the program after determining the city would reap long term benefits from a renewed focus on engineering and technology, and has set an Oct. 28 deadline for universities to respond to its offer. It’s offering land in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Governors Island, Staten Island and Roosevelt Island. [Bloomberg]