By Brandon Dupré
The University of Chicago is launching an institute to evaluate climate change and sustainability that will provide new degree options and offerings for students.
The university today unveiled the Institute for Climate & Sustainable Growth, which will serve as a hub for research in economics, climate policy and technology in what the school calls a “first-of-its-kind” project that will produce “new and deeper understandings of the climate challenge as well as practical, effective solutions.”
UChicago said it plans to hire 20 faculty members within the next five years for the new climate institute and that the project is already drawing an “extraordinary response from donors,” but did not provide financial figures for the donor support.
A university spokesperson said more information would be released in the “near future.” It’s unclear whether the new initiative will be entirely donor supported as the school stares down a budget deficit and implements cost-saving measures.
“The University of Chicago is distinctly poised to contribute to the understanding of the challenges of climate and energy, and to offer improved approaches for overcoming these challenges,” UChicago President Paul Alivisatos said in a statement today.
“This is our moment to leverage our history and distinctive strengths to uncover the ways for humanity to achieve sustainable growth while also addressing accelerating climate change impacts,” he added.
The new institute will support the Chicago Curriculum on Climate & Sustainable Growth, which will launch a series of new degree programs at the undergraduate and master’s levels, the university said.
Michael Greenstone, the Milton Friedman Distinguished Service Professor in Economics, will serve as the founding faculty director. Shirley Meng, a world-leading battery scientist and UChicago professor, will lead the Energy Technologies Initiative pillar of the new institute, while David Keith, who joined the university in April 2023, will helm the hub’s Climate Systems Engineering initiative.
“The Institute’s interdisciplinary, collaborative approach is crucial for addressing the complexities of climate change,” Provost Katherine Baicker said in a statement. “It will create a dynamic platform that engages the full breadth of insights across our campus community — from the arts and humanities, to the social sciences, to the biological sciences and beyond.”