I applaud your March 31 editorial, âÄúDriven to deception.âÄù The strategic positioning agenda is a public relations gimmick, not a visionary plan to become one of the top three research universities in the world.
How in the world can the University of Minnesota achieve this goal if it is not tackling the most urgent world problem, the sustainability of our planet? The environment continues to go downhill to the point that we face environmental risks of catastrophic proportions if we do not act. How many environmental disasters can the earth withstand?
While there are a myriad of units at the University addressing the sustainability issue, the overall effort is reductionist, fragmented and sectarian. This piecemeal effort is at risk of making an airplane but forgetting the engine. Sustainability requires that all researchers work together.
We must create a unity of knowledge among natural, social and economic sciences by bringing together scholars from different disciplines and backgrounds to make the transition to sustainability.
Unless the University embraces sustainability science as one of the top priorities in its strategic plan, it will never be able to become a top-three university.