India Internet News
Google Sponsors To Open New Research Institute
13 July 2011
Monday, the oldest university of Berlin said that they will be collaborating with Google and three other German organizations to begin a research institute.
Humboldt University says the Independent Research Institute for Internet and Society will open in late October 2011 and test the Internet evolution and its effect on society, science, politics and the economy.
According to the university, the institute will concentrate on invention, Internet and media policy, philosophy and constitutional rights.
The institute will be getting the first three years of finance, which is 4.5 million euros ($6.41 million), from Google. Later on, the institute will have to search for new sponsors.
The project includes the Berlin University of Arts, the Social Science Research Center Berlin and the Hamburg Hans-Bredow-Institute.
Humboldt University mentioned that since the organization would be sponsored by Google, it would be free in its scientific research and organization - something also focused by Google Chairman Eric Schmidt.
Schmidt reported that "It is great that we managed to get these four relevant organizations on board. The new institute will be completely independent from Google, that is very important."
Google had conflicts with the German government during its publication of Street View mapping on the issues of data privacy and was forced to change some of its services to satisfy strict rules.
Street View went online after a long fight with the authorities who insisted that citizens had the right to have photos of their properties blurred.