mtvU brings Microsoft chairman to computer science class

The 24-hour college network, mtvU, brought its popular “Stand In” series today (Oct. 12) to campus by hosting Bill Gates, Microsoft Corp. chairman and chief software architect.

Followed by mtvU cameras, Gates paid a surprise visit to an Introduction to Programming class to serve as substitute professor for the day. There he led the unsuspecting class in a discussion about leading-edge technologies and their potential to change the way people live and work. He also discussed the vitality of the computer science industry and the many exciting, rewarding and important careers within it.

“Stand In” with Bill Gates will mark the first time mtvU’s popular series will premiere exclusively on mtvU Über, the first MTV Networks channel distributed in its entirety via broadband, on Tuesday, Oct. 25. The episode will be broadcast the following day on-air on mtvU.

“The opportunities for computing to change the world have never been greater,” said Gates, whose stop in Wisconsin was part of a tour of leading IT and engineering colleges across North America. “And the ideas and excitement of today’s computer science students are driving the future of our industry.”

“The next Bill Gates is in college right now, re-inventing the world as we know it,” said Stephen Friedman, general manager of mtvU. “It’s incredible to be able to bring one of the greatest entrepreneurs of our time face to face with our audience, the next generation of digital pioneers.”

In addition to UW–Madison, Gates will visit the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, New York City’s Columbia University, Princeton University in New Jersey, Howard University in Washington, D.C., and the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada during his tour. Gates will talk about new opportunities for Microsoft and for the next generation of computer scientists, engineers and researchers, as well as key trends and developments around speech-recognition technology, cyber security and reliability, and a future that will enable all types of devices to connect to and exchange information with each other. Under Gates’ leadership, Microsoft’s mission has been to continually advance and improve software technology, and to make it easier, more cost-effective and more enjoyable for people to use computers.

Gates is the latest national public figure to participate in mtvU’s “Stand In” event series. Each stepping in as guest professor and teaching a class unique to their experience and background, previous participants include Melissa Etheridge, Shimon Peres, Kanye West, Elie Wiesel, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Ashley Judd, Russell Simmons, author Tom Wolfe, rapper Nas, Marilyn Manson, Snoop Dogg, Sen. John McCain and Sting. To view each “Stand In” event, visit www.mtvU.com.

Broadcasting to more than 730 colleges across the country, mtvU is the largest television network just for college students. It focuses on content including music programming, news, student life features, events, pro-social initiatives and more.