Built on Strong Vision & Principles

 

MIT has long been a global leader in STEAM, driving innovation not only in the fields themselves but also in ways they are designed and delivered. Its success as one of the world’s top universities has much to do with the strong vision and principles that MIT is founded upon since its establishment in 1861.

 

In the Objects and Plan of an Institute of Technology pamphlet produced in 1860 to advocate for MIT’s creation, William Barton Rogers and other incorporators emphasized the following: “It would be the object to provide a substantial and continuous course of teaching, while imparting a knowledge of the principles, facts and processes connected with the Arts, [and] should cultivate the habits of observation and exact thought, which are so conducive to the progress of invention and the development of intelligent industry.” This reflected an innovative way of imparting knowledge in academia that was distinctly different from the strict lecturing format devoted to classical studies. It also signaled the effort of MIT in integrating arts and humanities with science and engineering.

 

MIT’s motto, “mens et manus” has also set the stage for a unique culture of hands-on activity and minds-on engagement. The motto translates from Latin to “mind and hand”, and reflects the educational ideals of MIT’s founders who were promoting, above all, education for practical application. It signals the Institutions dedication to “the most earnest cooperation of intelligent culture with industrial pursuits”.