University News
INNOVATIVE COLLABORATIONS Clark Atlanta University Announces Collaboration with IBM to cultivate AI skills among students and aspiring developers
Clark Atlanta University was proud to announce its collaboration with IBM SkillsBuild to help drive economic growth, specifically cultivating talent in artificial intelligence among future developers. Recent research from IBM and Morning Consult reveals that 76 percent of developers do not consider themselves to be experts in generative AI, further highlighting how the growth of generative AI has compounded the existing skills gap across roles. Clark Atlanta University’s work with IBM will help university students and aspiring developers build the AI competencies that will help them thrive.
says Dr. Charlene D. Gilbert, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs. “By equipping our students with essential AI competencies, we not only prepare them for future opportunities but also ensure that the development of artificial intelligence reflects the broad range of perspectives of the communities it serves. It is imperative that the architects of AI systems represent the very populations they impact, thereby promoting economic viability and sustainable growth in the digital age.” “The pace of AI innovation continues to challenge and inspire businesses across industries, making skilled talent more important than ever,” said Justina Nixon-Saintil, IBM vice president and chief impact officer. “As we see the rise of more open-source AI models, it’s clear that the pace of transformation is not slowing down. The future of AI will be shaped by students, educators, and professionals who not only have the skills to use generative AI, but also to manage AI agents, or even build them.” The key elements of Clark Atlanta University’s collaboration with IBM SkillsBuild are faculty training and practical real-world learning opportunities through access to watsonx and Granite that will help them cultivate their students’ abilities. Guidance and support from IBM experts, along with new coursework on generative AI, and access to watsonx (IBM’s portfolio of generative AI products) and Granite (IBM’s family of open-source large language models), will give professors more options to incorporate advanced AI learning into their curriculum. Students will be able to take a deeper dive into AI learning with interactive components through labs and topics like code generation and data classification using LLMs, like IBM Granite. Students will also have opportunities to earn digital credentials that are recognized by future employers. IBM will offer innovation challenges, and students will have access to watsonx to build real-world solutions working alongside IBM experts and their classroom professors to build innovative capstone projects. Additionally, new coursework will also help students across disciplines build a foundation of AI understanding.
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As we embark on this transformative partnership with IBM, we recognize the critical importance of closing the digital divide and fostering an inclusive technological landscape.
Fall 2025
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