New San Jose State University President Mohammad Qayoumi looks at private funds for public education
Originally published in the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal Sept. 9, 2011.
By David Goll
During his five-year tenure as president of California State University, East Bay, Mohammad Qayoumi was known for expanding his university’s outreach to the business community to increase internships and provide guidance in updating curriculum.
On July 1, Qayoumi became president of San Jose State University, putting him at the center of one of the world’s most notable business communities, Silicon Valley. This isn’t his first time at the 30,000-student campus. Qayoumi has a long history at the university, where he worked as an adjunct professor for 12 years and as associate vice president for administration from 1986 to 1995.
Qayoumi’s style may be understated, but he is a noted trailblazer in higher education circles, becoming the first person of Afghani descent to head up a major American university. A native of Afghanistan’s capital city of Kabul, Qayoumi has earned five academic degrees in such fields as electrical engineering, nuclear engineering and computer engineering — including a Ph.D. and an MBA.
When asked about his university’s track record in working with the local business community, he said that although San Jose State has cultivated strong ties to Silicon Valley companies, they can be strengthened and expanded. As he was at Cal State East Bay, Qayoumi plans to be a strong advocate for beefing up private fundraising efforts at his new school in the face of repeated cuts in state support for the California State University system in recent years. This year alone, the state’s 23-campus system suffered a $650 million cut, with San Jose State sustaining a reduction of more than $39 million in state funds. Last fall, San Jose State publicly unveiled its first-ever major campaign to attract private donations. Contributions from alumni, the corporate sector or foundations is now more important than ever before, Qayoumi said.
“Private donors can be extremely valuable to us today in achieving the measure of excellence that has become expected of our program and the entire (California State University) system,” he said.
Qayoumi recently spoke with the Business Journal about his plans to bring together the school and business communities. Below is an interview with Qayoumi that has been edited for clarity and length.
Q: How would you describe San Jose State’s existing relationship with the Silicon Valley business community?
A: I would say the university has done a good job of establishing strong relationships with business in this area, communicating with companies not only in technology, but in many different industries. I would like to enhance the links we have already established.
Q: Where do you see room for improvement?
A: On a fundamental level, we need to take a close look at our curriculum on a regular basis. We need to determine what businesses are expanding and what skills these employers want to see in their future employees, so we need to regularly communicate with them. I’m also very interested in expanding the number of internships available to our students in local businesses as a way to increase their job opportunities. At San Jose State, we need to not only provide graduates for local employers, but people who are well-prepared for the important career areas of the future.
Q: Do all levels of education need to do a better job of cooperating to create well-trained workers?
A: Yes. That means from the national level to state universities and local community colleges and K-12 districts. I feel strongly we need to work more closely together to reduce the size of the achievement gap between majority communities and underserved communities. We need to do a better job of developing these resources for our employers and the larger society. We need to upgrade curriculum to prepare the workforce needed five years from now, in career areas such as biotech and medical devices.
Q: What are some other alliances that help the university train the future workforce?
A: The business incubator operated by the city and university is the biggest in the area. It’s a partnership between the city and the San Jose State University Research Foundation called the San Jose Incubator Program. It’s an extremely important program in which we are both working to attract more companies to our area. (San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed released a letter Aug. 25 in which he said he hopes the San Jose State Research Foundation will continue to support the 17-year-old program, even though the city’s Redevelopment Agency can no longer provide free space for the program. He said the city’s various incubator programs, including this one, have attracted $2.2 billion in venture investment and created hundreds of new companies.)
Q: How important today is it for state universities to cultivate private donations?
A: It’s extremely important. Our university has a goal of raising $200 million from private sources by 2014. This is money that can help us make up for the reductions in public support, to create that measure of educational excellence, for which the California State University system have always been known for.
[The following appeared in an info box.]
Mohammad Qayoumi
Title: President of San Jose State University
Age: 59
Birthplace: Kabul, Afghanistan
Family: Married
Residence: San Jose
Education: B.S., electrical engineering, American University of Beirut; M.S., nuclear engineering, University of Cincinnati; M.S., electrical and computer engineering, University of Cincinnati; M.B.A., finance and accounting, University of Cincinnati; Ph.D., electrical and computer engineering, University of Cincinnati Career path: Associate vice president for administration, San Jose State University, 1986 to 1995; vice chancellor for administration services and adjunct professor, University of Missouri-Rolla, 1995 to 2000; vice president for administration and finance and chief financial officer, California State University, Northridge, 2000-2006; president, California State University, East Bay, 2006 to 2011
David Goll covers commercial real estate, retail, economic development and transportation at the Business Journal.