DULUTH — As Georgia Tech develops its strategic planning initiative for the next 25 years, Gwinnett County will continue to play a key role in the institution, President G.P. “Bud” Peterson said Tuesday at a Gwinnett Rotary Club meeting.

More than 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students attend Georgia Tech, and this year, 1,826 students are from Gwinnett County, Peterson said.

“Georgia Tech is a tremendous economic engine for the state of Georgia, and that’s true here in Gwinnett County as well,” Peterson said.

As the institute approaches its 150th anniversary, school leaders are focusing on eight issues to chart the college’s course for the next 25 years, Peterson said.

“How are we going to prepare students for jobs that don’t exist yet using technology that hasn’t been developed to solve problems we don’t yet know about?” Peterson said during the meeting at the 1818 Club at the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce.

Peterson, who has been president of Georgia Tech since April, said one thing he would like to do is broaden the scope of education by allowing students to design their own academic programs.

“You’ve got to dance with the person who took you to the dance — and that’s engineering and science and technology — but I would like to see us expand the breadth of the programs,” he said.

As technology continues to develop, the way that classes are offered could change, but Peterson said he doesn’t think education will migrate completely online. He said he thinks brick-and-mortar collages will remain because they offer what he calls “other education” — where students learn how to be the type of people they are going to be.

“We’re excited about what the future holds,” Peterson said. “We’re excited about the strategic plan.”