US: India, Israel universities vie for 'genius' grant

New York's quest to lure a 'genius school' attracted seven applications from 17 top institutions in three states and four countries, writes Erin Einhorn for New York Daily News. "All of the submissions were stronger than anything we could have possibly imagined," Mayor Michael Bloomberg gushed last week as he announced the proposals.

The seven teams of bidders are vying for a chance to use free swaths of city land and up to $100 million in taxpayer funds to build a state-of-the-art university within the five boroughs. The effort is designed to convince engineers and entrepreneurs to start businesses and create jobs in the city.

The proposals range from sweeping new campuses on Roosevelt Island proposed by Cornell and Stanford in duelling bids, to less ambitious facilities proposed in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Governors Island. It includes pitches from schools as far away as India and Israel and as near as Columbia, which is looking for help expanding its technology offerings on its existing Manhattanville campus.
Full report on the New York Daily News site