Almost exactly at the halfway point between Purdue University and Indiana University sits the campus of IUPUI—the result of a collaborative vision more than five decades ago that gave both universities a presence in the city of Indianapolis.

On August 12, Purdue and IU announced a bold new vision—a two-year process that will transform the downtown campus into two separate academic organizations.

Designed around each institution’s strengths, this realignment will allow both universities to energize their efforts in Indianapolis, increase the number of job-ready graduates in an innovation-led economy, fuel economic growth in the region and the state, and enhance service to the local community.

“This new vision responds to calls we have heard from Indianapolis and across the state for a bigger and more visible Purdue,” President Mitch Daniels says. “Our state and its largest city require a world-class, high-technology research presence of the quality Purdue represents, and this will also allow us to provide more opportunities for our students and faculty both in Indianapolis and in West Lafayette.”

Purdue will assume responsibility for engineering, computer science, and technology as a fully integrated expansion of Purdue West Lafayette. It also intends to open a branch of the Purdue Applied Research Institute in Indianapolis.

The new structure will allow Purdue to grow its enrollment in Indianapolis, with anticipated growth of more than 1,000 students. Many of these students will be housed in a new residential building near the Purdue academic buildings.

Upon completion of the realignment, projected in fall of 2024, IU will continue to own and operate the Indianapolis campus. IU’s presence will be known as IU Indianapolis. The name and branding for the Purdue portion of the campus have not yet been decided.

Further down the timeline, Purdue also hopes to create opportunities for current West Lafayette students to “study away” in Indianapolis while pursuing internships or cooperative work opportunities. Purdue President-elect Mung Chiang says this new vision for Purdue’s involvement in Indianapolis “will create economic growth and jobs for Indiana and the entire Midwest.”

Even though one partnership is ending, a new one is just around the corner. Both Purdue and IU have agreed to the creation of a joint biosciences engineering institute. Harnessing the power of the universities’ academic and research strengths and ongoing collaboration between both schools’ health-related disciplines—Purdue’s Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering and the Indiana University School of Medicine—the institute will develop life-enhancing therapies and technologies while creating a sought-after pool of professionals whose research and training will create startups and attract new companies to Indiana.

Although changes are coming—and a lot of questions still need to be answered—Chiang succinctly summed up the announcement: “It’s very exciting!”