Places
The University of Washington’s Global Innovation Exchange is located in the Steve Ballmer Building in Bellevue, Washington. Graduate students who chose the dual degree option will also study at Tsinghua University, located in Beijing, China.
Steve Ballmer Building
The home of the Global Innovation Exchange is a new 100,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art building in Bellevue’s growing Spring District. As part of a 36-acre mixed-use development built around planned light rail, the GIX building, named in honor of former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, is located just eight miles from the UW campus and in close proximity to multiple technology corridors. Designed specifically for the unique curriculum of GIX, the building features design studios, an incubation space, electronics prototyping labs, presentation spaces and one of the largest and most comprehensively equipped makerspaces in the region. The Steve Ballmer Building hosts a variety of events and organizations; click here for room rental information.
Spring District, Bellevue
The Spring District is a 36-acre mixed-use development project located in the Bel-Red Corridor just east of downtown Bellevue being developed by Wright Runstad and Shorenstein Partners built around planned light rail. When complete the project will feature over 3 million square feet of commercial, residential and retail space. Other than GIX, the site will be home to an 11-floor tower preleased to Facebook. The site is centered on a future light rail station that will connect to downtown Bellevue and Seattle to the west and Microsoft and Redmond to the east providing exceptional access throughout the Puget Sound region.
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is home of spectacular mountains, beautiful coastline, and evergreen trees. It is one of the US’s most beautiful locations for both unique cities and breathtaking nature. In general, the Pacific Northwest has a wet and cool climate which has led to the growth of extensive forests featuring some of the largest trees in the world. The region’s coastal forests are considered temperate rain forests. The economy of the Pacific Northwest is varied, but some of the world’s largest and most successful technology companies such as Microsoft, Intel, Expedia, and Amazon are located in the region. Aerospace is also an important industry in the Pacific Northwest as Boeing was founded in Seattle and currently some of its operations in the Seattle area.
GIX
Tsinghua University, Beijing
Tsinghua University is a pacesetter for innovation in China. A leading world university, Tsinghua excels in its fundamental task of high-level training and research, and serves as an indispensable base for China’s scientific and technological innovation. Situated in northwestern Beijing, it is among the most selective universities in the Asia-Pacific region, and a trusted global partner for researchers and academics.
Beijing is the capital of China, and the world’s third largest city. It is home to the most number of Fortune 500 companies, over 80 unicorn companies, and is a major hub for technological innovation. GIX builds on this culture of growth and innovation and enables students to study in two vibrant tech-based economies.
Among its alumni are many leaders in various fields. They have made outstanding contributions to China’s technology development, economic growth and social progress. They also offer new perspectives and insights on the world’s biggest challenges.
