Over 1,100 Universities Expected to Participate in Third Universia International Meeting of Chancellors

RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Emilio Botin, Chairman of Universia and Banco Santander, announced the 3^rd Universia International Meeting of Chancellors today, which will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on July 28 and 29, 2014.  Universia, an initiative sponsored by Santander, is the most important network of universities worldwide, bringing together 1,240 universities from 23 countries with 14.3 million students and professors. In 2005, the first meeting was held in Seville, attended by 500 chancellors. The second meeting of chancellors took place five years later in Guadalajara, Mexico, with 900 chancellors and representatives from Latin American universities attending who drafted conclusions for the so-called Guadalajara agenda.

"The university of the 21^st century: a reflection from Latin America" is the overarching theme of the meeting, in which the future of universities will be analyzed, as well as their ability to respond to the demands of today's society and the projection of Latin American universities in the global context. The challenge of universities will be presented at the RIO 14 meeting, where the future of society, which depends upon the education of younger generations, will be discussed.

The participation of the university community, key to the meeting
The attendance of 1,100 universities from 46 countries is expected, not only from Latin America but also from leading universities in Europe, the U.S., Russia, Asia, Africa and the Pacific, whose opinions will help to set the horizon and projection of Latin American universities in the global context, and give full meaning to the '10 keys to the Latin American Knowledge Space' that form the meeting's program. Among the academic institutions invited, there are 36 universities from the U.S.

The university community has been actively taking part over the last months in the preparation of the Rio meeting. Forty Chancellors are part of three committees organized for the meeting: the International Committee, chaired by Carlos Antonio Levi, Chancellor of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro; the Academic Committee, chaired by Carlos Alexandre Neto, Chancellor of the Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul, and the Organizing Committee, chaired by Ignacio Berdugo, ex-Chancellor of the University of Salamanca.

480 chancellors have been involved through the network in the selection of topics that will be discussed at the meeting, including the University interaction with university community, teaching and research, adaptation to new social trends, positioning with new technologies, internationalization strategies and other issues, such as university funding. Another 267 chancellors as well as several experts have participated in the 16 online debates. "More than 30,000 university students have already completed two surveys on 'university social commitment' and 'university without borders'", as explained by Ignacio Berdugo.

Reflection will continue with a survey for all the chancellors of universities who are members of Universia, and with open forums at www.universiario2014.com for all the university community, which has also been invited to participate in five opinion surveys.

Given the key role that technology plays in making learning and teaching easier and, as a novelty, a digital app has been developed, which will enable the creation of a large international academic network of communication and cooperation.  All the preparation of topics and meeting sessions is being carried out via Internet and social networks. In addition, chancellors will be able to access the various debates by tablet, which will be used to further the activities and contact among the participants.

The choice of Rio de Janeiro to be the host of the 3^rd Meeting was made by the Universia International Advisory Board in honor of the 450^th anniversary of the foundation of the city, being a definite place "of reference in the major global debates on the future of the planet and of humanity", and in recognition of the importance and quality of the Brazilian university system – with 220 universities members of Universia – and the growing leading role and leadership of Brazil in the world.

The support of higher education is the axis of Santander's social responsibility policy. Over the last 15 years, the bank has invested over $1.3 billion in supporting universities and Universia. Emilio Botin remarked that "we are well aware that investing in education means investing in equality and development. More education and more university students undoubtedly mean more progress for a country. I am confident that the meeting at Rio will be the world summit for Higher Education in 2014, and that the important conclusions drawn will be implemented with the effort of all".

The announcement of this major university event was chaired by Eduardo da Costa Paes, Mayor of Rio de Janeiro; Carlos Antonio Levi, Chancellor of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and president of the Meeting International Committee; Carlos Alexandre Neto, Chancellor of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and president of the Academic Committee; Ignacio Berdugo, president of the Organising Committee, and Emilio Botin, Chairman of Banco Santander and Universia.

SOURCE Santander Bank, N.A.