University Mission
Northwestern is committed to excellent teaching, innovative research and the personal and intellectual growth of its students in a diverse academic community.
Guiding Principles
These principles provide the foundation for our University priorities.
- We transform society
- We grow leaders
- We champion access, opportunity and belonging
- We encourage debate
- We embrace breadth and depth
- We pursue excellence across all disciplines
- We strengthen our community
- We care about one another
University Priorities
The priorities listed below embody Northwestern's commitments to global eminence in research, innovation and education, and the strengthening of our academic community across our Evanston, Chicago and Qatar campuses.
Research and Innovation
- Advance the biosciences
- Lead in decarbonization, renewable energy and sustainability
- Harness the power of data analytics and artificial intelligence
- Foster interdisciplinary innovation among social sciences and global studies
- Enhance the creative and performing arts
- Deliver an outstanding educational experience for undergraduate and graduate students
Our Northwestern Direction is what makes us different.
Northwestern is a comprehensive research university that is deeply interdisciplinary across multiple schools. Our rigorous, yet empathetic, academic environment is impactful, producing top-tier research, new knowledge, creative expression and practical application.
A Northwestern Direction is an innovative, collaborative, multidimensional journey that is rare in higher education.