News | The Source | November 2025

Brown School launches initiative to tackle complex problems through private-public partnerships

The Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis is deepening its engagement with the St. Louis community through a new initiative that connects university expertise with residents, community organizations and industry partners.

The WashU Public Exchange joins a model first created five years ago at the University of Southern California (USC). The program’s goal is to co-create solutions to complex societal challenges while generating knowledge that benefits both local communities and the broader world. Organizers say this partnership lays the foundation for a national network linking researchers with community and industry partners to collaboratively address pressing social issues.