Kamal Ghorui
Michael Dell and Susan Dell have announced a $750 million donation to the University of Texas at Austin to build a new medical centre and research campus. The move comes months after the couple committed $6.25 billion to fund “Trump Accounts” for children in the US. The new project will focus on healthcare, research and education, with a strong role for artificial intelligence and advanced computing, Dell told CNBC. With the donation, the university plans to begin construction later this year, with the facility expected to open by 2030.The donation will fund a new hospital and research facility aimed at improving patient care using technology. Speaking about the project, Dell told the publication: “There are a lot of medical centers out there. But what you get with the opportunity to build something new is that you can design it from the start with data and computing and AI built in.”He added: “It allows you to make better decisions earlier and coordinate care more effectively and ultimately create better outcomes.”The campus will also include a cancer centre, which is already under development. Part of the funding will also go toward student scholarships and the university’s supercomputing centre.Dell said the idea connects to his early interest in medicine. “I think about this as the next step in a timeline that actually goes back to my parents sending me off to UT to become a doctor,” he said. “Obviously, that part didn’t work out, but I never stopped thinking about that.”
Michael and Susan Dell ’s philanthropy and focus on Austin’s growth
The latest donation adds to the couple’s long history of giving. With this contribution, their total donations to the university have crossed $1 billion. Earlier, they funded the Dell Medical School and supported the development of a children’s hospital in Austin.Dell said the decision is also linked to the rapid growth of the city. “My perspective on this is as a parent and as an employer. You know, years ago, if there was a health challenge, you didn’t actually stay in Austin. You went to Houston or Dallas,” he said. “And that’s becoming less and less true, and now Austin is becoming a destination for special surgeries and difficult procedures.”The couple has increased its charitable efforts in recent months. Dell said: “The scale has increased as we’ve had more ability to have a greater impact. We want to do this while we’re still here — and we’re very much still here — and so there’s a lot to be done.”At the same time, Dell acknowledged concerns around AI in healthcare. “You’ve got to have the right sort of controls and standards around privacy and security,” he said. “At the end of the day, these are just tools.”The new medical campus is expected to play a key role in expanding healthcare services in Austin while also advancing research and education.
