Digital Education Meets Business Addressing the Future

"Even in this economy there's a critical shortage of digital talent."

- Miles Nadal, CEO, MDC Partners Inc.

Having met and followed Mr. Nadal, I can't picture him tooling around Boulder, Colorado, with a “My Karma ran over your Dogma” bumper sticker, but he has every reason to puff out his chest as a leader in addressing the future.

Mr. Nadal, the head of multi-agency holding company MDC Partners, a Toronto-based network of agencies, the highest profile being Crispin Porter + Bogusky (CP+B) of Boulder and Miami, which has been named Creativity magazine's agency of the year five times, including this year, has started something very interesting and much needed, a business and educational partnership with the University of Colorado, a new digital arts school. Boulder Digital Works.

It will draw teachers from the university's Journalism/Communications school as well the schools advertising faculty that will develop exchange programs with Sweden's Hyper Island, one of the most highly regarded digital learning programs in Europe, will also be a partner in the program, providing student and faculty exchanges.

In other words, it sounds like a really cool "new" school to meet the changing needs of the communications world.

Initially, Boulder Digital Works will offer a 60-week certificate program in Digital Arts and Sciences. The Certificate program will begin this fall. The school will also offer 36-hour, intensive immersion executive programs in digital fluency for working professionals.

The concept is truly the mash-up between media and digital to create new digital thinkers.

Hmmmm Miles, can we talk about doing the same here in Toronto, Seneca College Creative Advertising program a leader in "Beyond Advertising" education. Let's talk.

I will post more details as they come up.