The event was officially inaugurated by Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sánchez, along with Executive Director of the Santander Group and Universia Ana Botín. Participants were also honored by the presence of Rector of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and Chair of the meeting's International Committee Enrique Graue.
Speakers included prominent figures from the world of politics and science, including: Tim Berners-Lee – inventor of the World Wide Web, Larry Summers – former U.S. Treasury Secretary in President Bill Clinton's administration and Chief Economist of the World Bank, Ignacio Cirac – Spanish physicist and winner of the 2006 Prince of Asturias Award, as well as Pilar Manchón – Senior Director of Engineering, AI Research Strategy at Google.
The meeting was attended by nearly 50 representatives of the Polish delegation of higher education institutions, including members of the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland (CRASP), the Conference of Rectors of Economic Universities, and the Regional Conference of Rectors of Academic Universities (RKRUA). Our University was represented by Her Magnificence Rector Prof. Celina M. Olszak, Ph.D., D.Sc.
Program
During the three-day meeting on "University and Society," participants discussed and reflected on the role of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in today's societal challenges and sought answers to the following question – "how can HEIs do better for a more prosperous, egalitarian and inclusive society?".
The discussions streamed online were focused on three dimensions:
- lifelong learning,
- promoting entrepreneurship and innovation,
- networking and cooperation between universities from around the world.
The solutions formulated during the 5th Universia International Rectors' Summit are to be published as the "Valencian Declaration", which will reflect the commitment of the Rectors to the further progress of the academic world and, consequently, contribute to the advancement of society.
More information
The 5th Universia International Rectors' Summit is a continuation of previous editions held in Salamanca (2018), Río de Janeiro (2014), Guadalajara (2010) and Seville (2005). The meetings are organized by the Santander Group, which supports sustainable development focused on eliminating social exclusion through the promotion of education, entrepreneurship and employment, implemented via Santander Universidades (www.santander.com/universidades).
Both program and details of the event are available at:
https://www.santander.com/v-encuentro-internacional-rectores-universia-en
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