- The importance of universities in supporting the creation of new cities and new regional economies such as Shenzhen and the Greater Bay Area
- The role that universities can play in the city-wide or regional context
- How city authorities can best set the environment so that businesses can invest and universities can prosper
- The power and influence of local city leaders on universities that operate within a national system
- The role universities will play in the future of cities
- Ensuring a culture of constant innovation and curiosity
- Shenzhen on trajectory to make China an AI superpower
- Universities shaping innovative and sustainable mega-regions
- The next generation of innovation companies
- Site visits and tours of Shenzhen’s leading tech and innovation companies
- The role universities will play in the future of cities
- Ensuring a culture of constant innovation and curiosity
- Shenzhen on trajectory to make China an AI superpower
- Universities shaping innovative and sustainable mega-regions
- The next generation of innovation companies
- Site visits and tours of Shenzhen’s leading tech and innovation companies
- The role of universities in smaller cities in shaping their bigger city neighbours
- How universities increase resilience of cities to help them adapt to climate change
- How city authorities can best set the environment so that businesses can invest, and universities can prosper
- Contributions universities can make to reduce regional inequity
- Where are the world’s most innovative cities?
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Universities and cities:
Advancing sustainable innovation
7–9 November 2023
Shenzhen, China
We are delighted to be hosting the THE Innovation & Impact Summit 2023 in partnership with Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech). Leaders will gather in Shenzhen, China, to analyse how universities can create and sustain cities that are hubs of innovation.
The summit will explore:
Demographic models suggest that future population growth will be concentrated in areas that do not currently host a university that ranks highly internationally. What types of universities are needed by cities with fast-growing populations? Which higher education models are going to be most effective in establishing institutions fit for the demands of their host community?
The city of Shenzhen – with a population of 17.6 million – is one of the C40 cities, a group of nearly 100 world-leading cities whose mayors are taking urgent action to confront the climate crisis. The summit will consider how universities may be able to help cities adapt to the punishing effects of climate change. From California to West Bengal, urban areas worldwide are vulnerable to climate risks such as drought, flood and heat stress. What role can universities play in mitigating this impact and ensuring that cities will not just survive, but thrive, innovatively and sustainably?
The summit will spotlight emerging and established innovation hubs, including the Greater Bay Area, Mumbai, Toronto, London, Kigali and Los Angeles.
Agenda themes
Creating innovation
Day 1 will focus on the role universities have played in the creation of new cities and regional economies like Shenzhen and the Greater Bay Area.
Sustaining and supporting innovation
Day 2 will focus on importance of universities in sustaining, supporting and maintaining innovative cities.
Using innovation to build resilience
Day 3 will highlight the role of universities, innovation districts and city authorities in building resilience of cities and solving regional, national and global issues.
Register your interest
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