Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is an independent, coeducational, private research university based in the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Established in 1861, MIT aims to ‘further knowledge and prepare students in science, technology and other fields of study that will best benefit the nation and the world today’. Its motto is Mens et Manus, which translates as “Mind and Hand”.

The university lays claim to 85 Nobel Laureates, 58 National Medal of Science winners, 29 National Medal of Technology and Innovation winners and 45 MacArthur Fellows. Among its impressive alumni is Kofi Annan, former secretary-general of the United Nations.

Scientific discoveries and technological advances accredited to MIT include the first chemical synthesis of penicillin, the development of radar, the discovery of quarks, and the invention of magnetic core memory, which enabled the development of digital computers.

MIT is currently organised into five different schools: architecture and planning, engineering, humanities, arts and social sciences, management and science.

It is home to around 1,000 faculty members and over 11,000 undergraduate and graduate students. MIT’s current areas of research include digital learning, sustainable energy, Big Data, human health and much more.

In addition to its emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship, MIT also boasts a diverse and vibrant campus environment with a wide array of student groups. The campus is arranged over 168 acres within Cambridge, and features 18 student residences, 26 acres of playing fields, 20 gardens and green-space areas, as well as over 100 public works of art.

MIT estimates that all its living alumni have between them launched more than 30,000 active companies, created 4.6 million jobs and generated roughly $1.9 trillion in annual revenue.

Taken together, this ‘MIT Nation’ is equivalent, they say, to the 10th-largest economy in the world.