How CARS will help General Motors

Stanford’s Center for Automotive Research is a loose-knit think tank comprised of faculty and students from varying disciplines looking to discover, innovate, build and deploy the next generation of automobiles. CARS provides a platform of shared resources for research, education and initiatives for student project teams across a number research centers, even encompassing law and business schools.

Mary Barra, GM senior vice president of Global Product Development, confirmed the company had officially joined the organization last Friday, while visiting the school of engineering to speak to faculty, students and researchers.

“Joining the Center for Automotive Research at Stanford is a natural fit for GM,” Barra said. “In order to create the world’s best vehicles, we make every effort to remain on the cutting edge of automotive development. Our membership in CARS will allow us both to expand and share our knowledge with students, faculty and industry partners as we work together to move the industry forward.”

This action solidifies GM’s long-standing ties to the Ivy League institution and Barra herself, was a graduate of Stanford. Now, the firm does much of their personnel recruitment for business and engineering careers at the school, in an ongoing search for the best and brightest available.

GM shares a dedication to education with the GM Foundation, both endeavoring to ensure a continued supply of quality career candidates, well equipped to compete in the rapidly evolving global marketplace.

In support of numerous industry partnerships, GM established the Buick Achiever’s Scholarship in 2011 and has already provided over $12 million to empower university students in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

In conclusion, at this point in time, there is know way of knowing exactly how CARS will help GM – only the certainty that it will.