During Zoom’s launch of its Innovation Lab at Arizona State University (ASU), the company announces that it has entered into a strategic partnership with ASU to create the first Zoom Innovation Lab at a university of this scale, which will identify, develop, and implement forward-thinking solutions for the education industry. There is something special about this program in that it provides students with hands-on opportunities to take part in hands-on learning exercises, to drive creative projects, and to prepare for the modern workforce.

On October 13, the university announced the launch of the Zoom Innovation Lab at its Tempe, Arizona campus as part of the university’s 10th anniversary celebrations. There was a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the event, which was attended by Zoom’s CTO Brendan Ittelson, several Zoom educators, and administrators from ASU as well. On behalf of Zoom, Eric S. Yuan, the company’s founder and CEO, gave the opening remarks virtually through Zoom.

Arizona State University (ASU) has been recognized as America’s most innovative university by U.S. News and World Report for an impressive eight consecutive years and continues to set the standard for what it means to be a higher education institution. With a five-year partnership with Zoom, ASU intends to enhance its position even further. This collaboration leverages Zoom’s advanced unified communications and collaboration technologies to extend ASU’s digital learning innovations and elevate the experiences of students on campus and in the community.

This partnership also supports ASU’s efforts to shape the future by nurturing the next generation of leaders. The collaboration creates a pathway for students at ASU to develop their skills and advance their careers through internships, job opportunities, and career development opportunities with Zoom.

“For two decades, ASU has been at the forefront of innovation in higher education,” said ASU President Michael M. Crow. “We believe that innovation has the power to create a better future for everyone, and we are honored to continue our work with Zoom to provide greater access to the many opportunities we offer.”

The next-generation campus

The Zoom Innovation Lab at Arizona State University (ASU) is dedicated to enhancing the overall campus experience. The lab not only focuses on improving traditional classroom and distance learning, but also on jointly developing Zoom-powered projects in various fields, such as telehealth, student services, and student safety. These projects will be led mainly by students from the ASU Luminosity Lab, which is part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, and the ASU Enterprise Technology team. To further gather creative ideas, the lab hosted a student hackathon on October 14th, which aimed to bring forth innovative Zoom applications and solutions, including in the realm of virtual worlds, or “metaverse”.

“The concept of student-driven creativity is viewed as a catalyst for positive changes in university life that will bring a wealth of benefits to both students and faculty, and revolutionize the overall educational experience.

Lev Gonick, CIO of the ASU Public Enterprise, stated that modern universities can be considered as mini cities, offering a wide range of services and activities such as educational programs, retail spaces, events, sports, and communities. He believes that by embracing technology, the initiative will not only enhance the educational process but also give students the chance to play a role in shaping the future of education by designing innovative experiences.

The Zoom Innovation Lab at Arizona State University boasts the Zoom Collaboration Studio, which is located within the ASU Campus Creativity Commons. This state-of-the-art facility is equipped with the latest Zoom technology, and includes amenities like a Zoom theater, green-screen room, interview/gaming pods, and more. This studio provides students from all academic disciplines the opportunity to collaborate, create, and connect in a top-notch environment. The studio was made possible with contributions from Logitech, Neat, Steelcase, and Wacom, who provided equipment and furnishings to outfit the space.”

Innovation in action

Within the Zoom Innovation Lab at ASU, there are currently three notable projects that are currently in progress:

• Zoom in the ASUniverse: An ASU Enterprise Technology team, working on ASU’s Digital Twin, is building a virtual model of the campus in real-time using 3D modeling and data analysis. A virtual campus, as well as an interactive classroom environment, will be simulated using the ASUniverse in real-time and dynamically. As a means of connecting real people with this metaverse, Zoom will assist virtual learners and visitors to connect with each other (and vice versa), thus bridging the divide between the virtual and real worlds.

• Telehealth app: ASU’s Luminosity Lab is in the process of developing a telehealth app in collaboration with Phoenix Children’s Hospital to enable doctors to conduct virtual visits with their patients inside of a hospital’s setting via the Zoom video conferencing system. This app has been developed by students that are interested in industrial design and software development, and has been designed to provide doctors at Children’s Hospital with a more efficient means of seeing their patients inside the hospital.

• MyASU Mobile App: As part of the ASU Mobile App, Zoom is also being integrated into the app. It will be possible for students to join classes and meet with professors for additional learning opportunities, to set up appointments with student services, and to schedule meetings with their friends via Zoom straight from the student app so that they can remain in contact with one another.

It was a higher education institution that was our very first customer, which inspired us to create a new classroom that would revolutionize education, said Eric S. Yuan, founder and chief executive officer of Zoom “Today, I am excited to further partner with ASU in order to take that concept one step further and create the campus of the future.”