Northwestern to host Global U7+ Summit with University Presidents from around the world
Northwestern to host Global U7+ Summit with University Presidents from around the world
It is imperative that today’s universities come together to play a leading role in addressing global challenges that can be solved through collaboration across disciplines and geographical boundaries.”
Morton O. Schapiro
Northwestern University President
Northwestern University will host the second annual U7+ Summit June 2-3, 2020, convening presidents and top leaders from universities in G7 nations and other countries to explore solutions to the world’s most pressing issues.
The U7+ Summit is a unique opportunity for university leaders from a wide variety of nations to discuss a common agenda and establish a framework for university actions in today’s global landscape. The U7+ Summit creates a space for debate and reflection on the concrete actions that universities can take as engaged global actors, and it provides university leaders an opportunity to weigh in on issues and tackle global challenges to be addressed at the G7 Summit.
Over two days, more than 100 presidents and top leaders of universities will continue the work begun in 2019 to establish commitments on five key topics, including: 1. Universities as key actors in a global world; 2. Climate and energy transition; 3. Inequality and polarized societies; 4. Technological transformation; and 5. Community engagement and impact.
Building on work initiated at the inaugural U7+ Summit in July 2019 at The Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po), Northwestern, Georgetown, Columbia, UC Berkeley and other U7 Alliance partners will develop a multilateral agenda that focuses on reimagining what it means to be a global actor and to work collaboratively across institutional, national and disciplinary borders.
As in 2019, the 2020 Summit will conclude with a series of concrete commitments made by each university president for their respective institutions. These commitments will be discussed during the meeting in Evanston and voted on by the university presidents, and then presented for consideration as part of the broader G7 discussions that will take place in Camp David, June 10-12.
The selection of Northwestern to host the U7+ Summit builds on the relationship the University has had with The Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po) for nearly two decades, a partnership that is a model of the University's globalization strategy: multidimensional partnerships with foreign institutions that it can expand and deepen over time. This partnership, established by the Office of International Relations, now encompasses undergraduate study abroad, graduate students, faculty exchanges, and collaborations with Pritzker and Medill.
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