In an effort to improve higher education opportunities throughout the world, the University will invite more than 30 university presidents and vice chancellors from across the world to Charlottesville this fall as a part of the 2008 Charlottesville Consultation. Working alongside St. George's House, located at Windsor Castle in Berkshire, England, the University will host the international conference, which will allow participating institutes to continue discussion relating to issues addressed at last year's Windsor Consultation in Berkshire.
Cameron Howell, University assistant to the president, said this conference will include many of the same participating colleges and universities present at last year's consultation, including the University of Oxford, Virginia Tech, two universities from the Czech Republic, Stanford University, the University of Hong Kong and the University of Melbourne.
"We want to balance having a very diverse group of university leaders against our need to keep the group of a manageable size so that the discussions can be meaningful and so that we can work toward accomplishing as much as possible," Howell said.
The 2008 conference will focus on how these international universities can act upon the three major issues drawn up in the 2007 consultation, Howell said. These topics include opportunities for students from low-income backgrounds, technology collaboration and improvements to university infrastructure and higher education opportunities in developing countries, said Sarah Turner, University Education School associate professor of education and economics.
"Based on the discussions last year at St. George's House, the university presidents and vice chancellors decided to concentrate on opportunities that they thought were doable," Howell said. "And they elected to concentrate on these three things."
Since the 2007 meeting, the participating colleges and universities have formed study groups to research the problems discussed during the meeting and formulate recommendations of solutions, Howell explained.
"Our goal for the next meeting is to determine which of these recommendations the universities might act on," Howell said. "So we are moving from brainstorming to action."
Although the conference will take place in Charlottesville this year, the exact location is still being determined, Howell said, noting "we hope to have as many of the meetings as possible on the Grounds."
The conference will be held November 10 to 12.
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