We are creating interdisciplinary research institutes to leverage expertise and resources in support of strategic initiatives, to facilitate collaboration with business and industry, and to foster innovation and global leadership. One example is the creation of the Center for 21st Century Universities (C21U). The center, based in the College of Computing, includes faculty from Management, Public Policy, and Industrial and Systems Engineering. It focuses on the role of disruptive technologies like social networking, and innovations like open courseware, serving as a living laboratory for testing new transformational educational ideas and approaches.