New York University and the State University of New York announced a joint higher‑education design lab to study which college programs most effectively build skills for an AI‑driven labor market. The lab will pilot, evaluate and scale curriculum and credential models that align academic offerings with employer demands, particularly for emerging AI and data roles. The partnership aims to produce evidence about which program structures and experiential formats deliver measurable workplace outcomes, feeding into institutional curriculum redesign and state workforce planning. For academic leaders, the lab signals a growing expectation that higher‑education programs demonstrate clear skill pathways and labor‑market returns—metrics likely to shape accreditation conversations, employer partnerships and state funding priorities.