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The rapid advance of emerging technologies, disruptions to the future of work, ongoing sustainability challenges, and accelerating geopolitical, societal and economic shifts have ushered in a new era – placing universities, education, research, and lifelong learning at a crossroads.

To meet this moment, curriculums and pedagogies must evolve dramatically to integrate transformative technologies like AI. Universities must strengthen and expand their role as engines of innovation, research, and entrepreneurship, while fostering open, constructive dialogue in an age of deepening polarization. Rebuilding trust in institutions, advancing data-driven, multidisciplinary solutions, and embracing bold, collaborative leadership is essential.

Universities and their leaders play a fundamental role in the world and are being called upon to lead in tackling global challenges. Doing so requires innovative and visionary partnerships across public and private sectors.

The World Economic Forum’s university leader’s community is a trusted space for open dialogue and collaboration on key issues confronting university leaders. The Global University Leaders Forum (GULF) offers a platform for university leaders to exchange insights with leaders from other sectors, identify areas of common purpose, and engage with the most pressing global issues shaping leading institutions in the years ahead.

How higher education can adapt to the future of work

Automation and the gig economy are radically changing how we work. How we learn must keep pace with these new technologies.

In a world of growing divisions, how can we learn to disagree well?

In a world of growing divisions, how can we learn to disagree well?

How education can adapt to prepare learners for tomorrow’s demands

Six universities from just two countries consistently dominate the global ratings and are world-renowned for their excellence.

The tectonic plates of global higher education are shifting permanently

The latest World University Rankings suggest we are witnessing a historic realignment of academic power from West to East – and it is likely to accelerate.

How university partnerships could ignite innovation in the Global South

The phenomenon of relocation, which brings production and supply chains closer to end consumers by connecting countries, provides a key opportunity for emerging economies, especially in the Global South.

More Content, Less Learning

Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2026

Digital tools and platforms have made learning more accessible than at any point in history, yet foundational literacy and numeracy are falling in many economies. While we have improved user experiences and abundant content, the ability to learn is not catching up.

Research funding is one of the 'greatest inventions' say Nobel scientists

What do biologist Victor Ambros and chemist Thomas Cech have in common? Besides the fact that they are both Nobel Prize-winning scientists, the pair agree that their feats would have been impossible without publicly funded research.