Collegiate Times

Eric Schmidt, Google CEO, left, and former Gov. Mark Warner, right, discussed the future role of technology at the Lyric in Blacksburg yesterday. The pair avoided political issues, instead talking about the need for America to remain a pioneer in information services.

Former Virginia governor Mark Warner visited the Lyric yesterday with Google CEO Eric Schmidt for a conversation on technology with the Blacksburg community.

Click here for a photo gallery from the event.

The event, promoted by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, focused on how technology plays an important role in the global economy, and how America can better prepare itself for the global scene and contribute more in order to remain a great power.

The event was a familiar scene for both, as Schmidt grew up in Blacksburg, and Warner is a friend of the Tech community. Although neither are alumni, southwest Virginia and the Tech community are highly valued by each of the speakers.

"This was a great opportunity to feature Eric Schmidt, who has been very generous to Virginia Tech although he did not graduate from here," said Tom Tillar, vice president for Alumni Relations. "The pairing is quite unique, and we thought it would be very rewarding to both of them and folks of the community."

Warner and Schmidt intended to shy away from any political standpoints and focus more on the role that new technologies will play in the next four years as a new president is elected and a new administration takes over on technology policy. Both local- and national-level implications came into play.

"One of the things I was proudest of as governor was my statement that nobody should have to leave their home to find a world-class job," Warner said. "That's why I decided to take a plunge into politics in the first place."

Warner believes that this kind of innovation is necessary by everyone, not just politicians. Recently, many may have viewed technological issues into the future as liberal or conservative; left or right.

However, both believe that the debate should truly be future versus past, rather than Democrat versus Republican.

Warner and Schmidt touted competitiveness and energy as two of the most important factors in a global economy, no matter what the party affiliation. With the upcoming presidential election, Warner called for leadership and unification.

"This is clearly an area where we have to put all of the options out there and reach across party lines," Warner said.

Schmidt offered an opinion similar to that of Warner.

"This is a time for leadership," Schmidt said. "You want politicians who actually know how to run a business, create jobs and care about their citizens. We just need more political leaders who believe in science."

In order to be competitive in a global economy, Warner said plans would ideally include bringing technology to rural areas such as Montgomery County.

"When speaking toward technology and a global economy, you don't leave smaller, rural communities behind, and I thought what better place to take this than Blacksburg and Virginia Tech," Warner said. "(Technology) must withstand the boundaries of time, especially with the number of services available anywhere, any place."

Schmidt conveyed the same ideas that the ideal role of rural communities, collectively, would be to increase quality of life.

"You need to have the scale and leverage of a big city with high values in the global market," Schmidt said.

Warner repeatedly stressed linkage between four separate issues that would return America to the top of the global economy. These included an innovative workface, driving down health care costs, redefining infrastructure and remaining the innovational capital of the world. Blacksburg, Schmidt believes, could potentially pioneer this idea.

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