JGU holds fourth World Universities Summit

O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) held the World Universities Summit on ‘Universities of the Future: A Global Partnership for Social Justice and Sustainable Development’  from February 19 to 21. Organised by International Institute for Higher Education Research & Capacity Building (IIHEd) of JGU, the fourth edition of the Summit was a hybrid event, which included two days of 25 virtual thematic sessions during February 19-20, followed by a Higher Education Leaders Conclave at JGU’s campus on February 21.

Dr Subhas Sarkar, Minister of State for Education, Ministry of Education, Government of India, inaugurated the Summit on February 19. The Guests of Honour at the inaugural session were Professor (Dr.) Pankaj Mittal, Secretary General, Association of Indian Universities; Professor (Dr.) Virander S. Chauhan, former Chairman, University Grants Commission; and Dr Ashwin Fernandes, Executive Director (AMESA), QS Quacquarelli Symonds India. The Founding Vice-Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University, Prof. (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, gave the welcome address.

Across three days, the Summit convened over 225 academics and university leaders from more than 100 leading universities in the world with representation from 20 countries and 6 continents. The Summit hosted nearly 85 Vice-Chancellors, Provosts, Rectors, Registrars, Presidents, Vice Presidents, Deputy Presidents, Founding Deans and Executive Deans and leaders from global organisations including the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the Association of American Universities and Colleges, Quacquarelli Symonds and the World Bank.

The Higher Education Leaders Conclave, in partnership with the Dr. Pritam Singh Foundation, was held on February 21 in which some of the distinguished scholars in the field of higher education, including Professor (Dr.) Philip G. Altbach, Professor Emeritus, Center for International Higher Education, Boston College, USA; Professor (Dr.) Shailendra Raj Mehta, President and Director, MICA; and Professor  N.V. Varghese, former Vice-Chancellor of NIEPA, participated. The Higher Education Leaders Conclave facilitated debates and discussions among vice chancellors and higher education Leaders on the evolving role of universities in championing social justice and sustainable development.