World Universities Forum

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About World Universities Forum

Members of the On the University Community meet at the World Universities Forum, held annually in different locations around the world. The Forum was held in Davos, Switzerland in 2008; Mumbai, India in 2009; Davos, Switzerland in 2010; Hong Kong in 2011; and Rhodes, Greece in 2012. In 2013, it will be held in Vancouver, Canada.

One of the paradoxical characteristics of our time is that some of the most creative thinking comes from business, politicians and other community leaders rather than academe. The World Universities Forum has been created in the belief that there is an urgent need for academe to connect more directly and boldly with the large questions of our time, in much the same way that the World Economic Forum has forged a role of global intellectual leadership for politicians, business people and community leaders.

Established in 1991, the World Economic Forum has been an important, and at times controversial site for dialogue and debate regarding the major social and economic problems of the planet. At its annual meetings in Davos, it brings together representatives of powerful economic and political organisations, to participate in wide-ranging conversations and set the agenda for on-going debates.

While much of the discussion at Davos concerns political and economic matters, the topics WEF considers have profound implications for universities around the world, not only in relation to their governance but also with respect to the issues of how best to interpret and respond to the global transformations. As they consider the broader context within which they are located, universities are not only more affected by the issues that WEF addresses than ever before, but they also have a greater role to play in solving the global problems and setting the agenda for the knowledge economy and society.

With the interests of WEF and universities increasingly aligned, the World Universities Forum (WUF) acts as a counterpoint, enabling an exchange of ideas between political and economic leaders, University sector leaders and leading higher education scholars.