UC is part of what makes California so unique -- it educates hundreds of thousands from students from all walks of life, is a powerful engine for California’s economic growth, and a vital resource in improving the health of all Californians.It is no coincidence that the breadth and depth of UC’s research and workforce preparation are unparalleled in the nation and that California is a world leader in industries like info-tech, agriculture, biotech and entertainment. And many of the state’s leaders are stepping forward to ensure that legislators understand this link. |
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What Californians are saying about UC
Before Robert Mondavi secured the Napa Valley’s place as one of the world’s premium wine regions, he learned lessons from UC Davis that made much of his success possible. Henry Samueli Samueli co-founded semiconductor giant Broadcom, in part, on technologies developed with graduate students while he was a UCLA professor. Today, an estimated 10% of Broadcom's 3,000 employees worldwide have UC degrees. |
Spring/Summer 2005 UCLA-UC Irvine Corporate Advocacy Day: On April 12, UCLA and UCI brought a delegation of some of California’s top business leaders to Sacramento to help legislators understand the link between UC and California's unparalleled knowledge-based economy, R&D infrastructure, and skilled workforce. [link to materials higher ed-econ links.] The delegation met with Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, Assembly Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and the Governor's Special Advisor on Jobs and the Economy David Crane, among others. Silicon Valley Leadership Group Lobby Day: On April 27-28, UCOP, UC Berkeley and UCSC participated in the Silicon Valley Leadership Group’s Sacramento lobbying day, where over 100 member CEOs and staff visit legislators to carry SVLG’s messages, which this year included support for public higher education. UC May Advocacy Day: On May 18, all 10 UC campuses brought their alumni and community advocates to meet with state legislators and remind them of the important role UC plays in keeping California competitive. UC impacts on California: |
“UC did a tremendous amount of research that was unique in the world, and we followed that religiously. I knew after 25 years we had the climate, the soil, and the potential. All we had to do was learn to make [the wine]. It really was the University that set me on the right road.”
“Technology companies in California need highly trained, highly educated workers. The UC system is producing that talent, without which we couldn't grow. The best students become the best faculty, which does the best research, which attracts the next generation of best students and feeds our companies...It’s a whole ecosystem based on academic excellence.” 
"The strength of California's economy has always been in our ability to be at the forefront of new ways of thinking and emerging .elds. Whether in the application of computer graphics for filmmaking, or the next biotech breakthrough. Through its cutting edge R&D and highly-skilled graduates, the University of California plays a major role in keeping California the kind of place that spawns the next generation of great thinkers, the best new ideas and entire industries."