This week, for the fourth year in a row, President Ruth Simmons is joining global leaders from business, politics and other fields at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The event, which began Jan. 26 and ends Jan. 30, allows Simmons to develop relationships with university presidents and social entrepreneurs, as well as brainstorm initiatives that could bring change to the academic scene, she wrote from Davos in an e-mail to The Herald.
The forum's theme this year is "Shared Norms for the New Reality."
Marisa Quinn, vice president for public affairs and University relations, said the event and its theme are applicable to the University's interest in being involved in current global issues. "It is essential to be a part of the conversation," she said.
A number of university presidents from around the world attend the forum each year to participate in the Global University Leaders Forum, first organized in 2006. "The opportunity to meet with this diverse group to develop ideas and foster international academic partnerships is very worthwhile," Simmons wrote. Quinn added that the forum provides a rare venue for university leaders to initiate and develop partnerships.
Simmons attended a meeting Thursday morning hosted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty members, which focused on MIT's energy institute and approaches to energy issues. The discussion prompted her to think about energy research at Brown, she wrote.
Simmons is also hosting two panels during her time in Davos. The first, which has already taken place, discussed of methods for supporting emerging artists, and she wrote she hopes to implement in Providence some of the ideas that emerged from the discussion. The second panel will discuss the emergence and decline of languages.
The event allows Simmons to foster valuable connections with non-profit leaders and social entrepreneurs, she wrote. "Discussions with this group are especially important to us in university life."
Simmons also recently learned of a project offering mini-loans to artists, and she wrote she is excited by the prospect of implementing the idea.
And she will be holding a University event alongside Ronald Margolin, vice president for international advancement, and Matthew Gutmann, vice president for international affairs. Prospective students, alums, donors and Corporation members are expected to attend. Though recruitment is not the main reason behind Simmons' trip to Switzerland, she wrote she occasionally meets young, motivated individuals at the forum who already stand among global figures. The University always welcomes outstanding individuals, Quinn said.
