The university leaders that participated in the virtual summit from November 22 to November 24 agreed on collective efforts to promote the interests and rights of youth and future generations. Since effective actions to address issues like the climate change have been postponed over and over again, the participants of the summit saw serious threats to democracy. Young people might have the feeling that their concerns would not be taken into consideration.
The participants unanimously agreed upon a collective statement that contains the alliance’s commitments. In this statement, the members of the U7+ Alliance promise to increase their efforts for training and nurturing responsible and active citizens at their institutions. In addition, they want to focus on research topics such the climate change and climate protection, work toward equality and inclusiveness in society and promote interdisciplinary research. By educating future generations and by cooperating with various multilateral organizations, such as the G20 and UNESCO, the U7+ Alliance wants to find solutions for complex, global issues.
About the U7+ Alliance
The U7+ Alliance is the first international coalition of university presidents aimed at structuring and advancing the role of universities as global actors across a multilateral agenda. Alliance members meet annually to establish a common agenda and identify key areas for coordinated action. Together, the U7+ university presidents pledge concrete action on behalf of their institutions to address the world’s most pressing challenges at local, regional and global levels.
The next U7+ Alliance of World Universities Presidential Summit is set to take place in the UK in 2021.