U21 universities celebrate the success of AGM
Published: 9 June 2014
May's Universitas 21 annual meeting gathered together leaders from the world's major universities and considered the "University of the Future".
From 14-16th May, leaders of some of the world’s major universities gathered in Glasgow for the annual general meeting and presidential symposium of Universitas 21 (U21), at a highly successful event which gave delegates a taste of Glasgow’s rich culture and beautiful campus.
The meeting, hosted for the first time in the UK, considered the role of the ‘University of the Future’, exploring the effective development of talent and examining the impact of online learning and international campuses on higher education.
The group also welcomed a presentation from students on the impact of HE on future careers, which requested increased activity in the areas of importance of experiential learning, interdisciplinary opportunities and undergraduate research opportunities. Guest speakers were Phil Smith, CEO of Cisco Systems UK & Ireland and Glasgow alumnus, and Simon Nelson, CEO of FutureLearn online education platform.
The U21 group is a collective of leading research intensive institutions from across the globe, including India, China, Korea, Hong Kong, the USA, South Africa, Australia and the UK. The University of Glasgow is a founding member. The network focuses its activity on supporting students, improving educational opportunities globally, and international collaboration. Between us, U21 enrols 1.3 million students and employs 220,000 staff, with a budgetary turnover of $25 billion.
Changes agreed at the 2014 meeting include the appointment of a new Executive Director of U21, and a higher level of students involvement in strategic planning and network activity.
The next U21 event to be hosted by Glasgow will be the U21 Summer School in 2015.
Sarah Ward, Universitas 21 Coordinator
First published: 9 June 2014
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