Photo: Fireside chat with DBS CEO Piyush Gupta (left), moderated by NTU President Subra Suresh
Leaders in higher education from the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) have gathered in Singapore to discuss the critical issues of sustainability and climate change, how to prevent the next pandemic, and the urgent need to collaborate in a post-COVID-19 world that is seeing a rising trend in protectionism.
The Annual Presidents' Meeting is APRU's first in-person meeting since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 90 university leaders attending from 6 to 9 July.
Hosted by NTU Singapore, the overall theme of this year's meeting is titled "Reconnecting in a Sustainable World", which includes key topics such as Sustainability & Climate Change and Preventing the Next Pandemic.
In a world where countries are looking inwards, with some adopting isolationist policies to curb the adverse health and economic impact in a post-COVID-19 era, there is now an even greater impetus for universities and academia to connect and collaborate.
At the meeting's opening keynote session moderated by NTU President Professor Subra Suresh, prominent banker Mr. Piyush Gupta, Chief Executive Officer and Director of DBS Group, spoke on sustainability, the role of corporations in pursuing the sustainability agenda, and potential areas of partnership with academic institutions.
Four global reports will also be announced and presented at the meeting:
- APRU Annual Report 2022
- For the Global Common Good: APRU and the China-US Research Landscape
- Report on NTU's Carbon Footprint Framework and Roadmap
- Report on Resilient Universities during the COVID-19 pandemic; Differences between East and West
