Universia Conference Report from President Lawrence Bacow

I recently had the opportunity to attend the 2nd International Meeting of Universia Presidents in Guadalajara, an impressive gathering of representatives from over 1200 universities, including over 950 university rectors, presidents, and vice-chancellors. I was able to meet with the heads of several Talloires Network institutions. What I found especially exciting was the strong interest in the Talloires Network and higher education civic engagement shown by rectors from other universities around the world. This experience confirmed my belief that universities in every region are increasingly recognizing the civic roles and social responsibilities of higher education.

The growing global movement for engaged universities has a vital role to play in maximizing the benefits of higher education for individuals and societies. Harvard philosopher Michael Sandel has observed that while talent and ability are distributed evenly throughout the world, opportunity is not. University civic engagement is a powerful tool to correct this injustice by expanding access and opportunities for people around the world and from all backgrounds. I am proud of the Talloires Network’s efforts on behalf of this vision.

Our own recent meeting of Talloires Network leaders and partners in Bellagio, as well as the Universia conference in Guadalajara, were both reminders of the importance of building strong personal relationships and strengthening networks through face-to-face interaction. I am therefore pleased to let you know that we are preparing to hold a global conference of Talloires Network members in Madrid during the first half of 2011. As the first global meeting of Talloires Network leaders since the Network was launched in 2005, this will be a tremendous opportunity to exchange knowledge and ideas, discuss the future of the Network, and build relationships among the membership. I look forward to providing you with more details in the near future.

This article first appeared in the Talloires Network June Newsletter