The document discusses IBM's Cognitive Systems Institute Group (CSIG) and its director Jim Spohrer. CSIG works to build cognitive systems and platforms using techniques from fields like natural language processing, machine learning, and neuromorphic computing. The goal is to develop cognitive assistants that can augment human expertise to help solve complex problems. Universities are seen as important partners in this work through collaborations on research and by inspiring students to help build smarter service systems for the future.