The presidents of the leading research universities in the Pacific Rim will gather at the University of British Columbia June 23-25 to accelerate a global research agenda designed to help inform government policy.
"Global Science and Technology in the 21st Century" is the focus of the fourth meeting of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU).
The association was created in 1997 to more effectively influence economic, scientific and cultural policy in order to contribute to the development of an integrated Pacific Rim community. It comprises 34 leading research universities in the United States, China, Japan, Australia and other Pacific Rim countries.
"This is an historic opportunity for major universities to have a collective impact far beyond what they could achieve individually," says UBC President Martha Piper. "Through collaboration among the APRU research institutions we will further progress on global issues including the education of the next generation of world leaders."
The APRU meeting will include a high-level joint session between the leaders of these top research institutions and the Canadian Prime Minister's Advisory Council on Science and Technology on June 24.
This session will allow Canada's senior science policy advisers to interact with the Pacific Rim university presidents in an open exchange of views on science and technology and human resource development issues at the national and regional policy level.
Dr. Steven Sample, president of the University of Southern California, is the conference chair.