University & Innovation

Global leaders gathered at Aston University to explore university-led innovation and socio-economic change.

Learn about the evolution of universities and the need for ranking systems that measure impact, by Prof. Aleks Subic

In a decade of growing global interconnectivity and accelerated technological change, universities have a crucial role in shaping, designing, and implementing the innovation of the future for the benefit of all. Understanding the relevance of universities in this fast-changing landscape, the GFCC is pleased to present Universities in Action: Building Cross-sector Alliances and Making Impact on Society. The new report captures insights from the forum co-organized by the GFCC and its member, the Brazilian National Confederation of Industries (CNI), on September 29, 2023, in São Paulo, Brazil.

The COVID-19 pandemic advanced at least ten years of digital transformation in the university sector. Lockdowns and safety measures required universities to react quickly and rethink their operations. Education moved online at an unprecedented scale bringing new challenges and opportunities for teachers and learners worldwide. In this new report, the GFCC captures the pandemic-related impacts on higher education and the innovative solutions universities put in place to respond to the crisis, exploring long-term implications on university models and identifying the game-changers shaping the future of the higher education sector.

Fostering partnerships between industry and higher education institutions is crucial to advancing economic growth and competitiveness. Our new report, Industry-University Partnerships for Impact, documents discussions about innovative models for collaboration across sectors held during a forum in March this year in São Paulo, Brazil. The event marked the resumption of GFCC in-person activities since the onset of COVID-19.

Universities are being driven to adapt and innovate in response to shifting demographics, financial pressures, evolving stakeholder expectations, and accelerated change from the COVID-19 pandemic, as outlined in a GFCC Discussion Paper by University of Auckland experts.

The 4th Industrial Revolution is driving a digital transformation in higher education, with data-driven technologies enabling new models of leadership and enterprise that require universities to adapt and build connected digital ecosystems.

Universities, no longer isolated "ivory towers," have become central to global recovery and progress, leveraging science, partnerships, and community roles to drive inclusive, sustainable growth and resilience in the post-pandemic world.

Universities, though vital to the knowledge economy, are undergoing major transformations driven by demographic shifts, technological advances, evolving societal roles, and changing education and job market demands, raising critical questions about the future of higher education.

Universities’ engagement with industry and alliances to foster innovation are crucial for economic development and prosperity. GFCC’s Optimizing Innovation Alliances, the report of one of the two Task Forces of the GFCC University and Research Leadership Forum, that were launched in 2016 in London, outlines these innovative practices and explores new, innovative and fruitful ways to improve such alliances across 18 participating universities.

The GFCC's 2017–2018 report details the ongoing work of its University and Research Leadership Forum, highlighting global collaboration among 40 universities, outcomes from the 2017 Kuala Lumpur meeting, and preparations for the next gathering in Argentina to advance higher education competitiveness.

Universities are key drivers of large-scale, transformational projects that shape economies and technologies, as explored by the GFCC’s Leveraging Extreme Innovation Task Force, which examined 17 major initiatives spanning over 60 years.

The GFCC's new report, “Convergence & Circulation,” highlights the 2016 launch of its University and Research Leadership Forum, the formation of two global task forces on innovation, and the collaborative efforts of forty universities from twenty countries to advance research as a driver of economic growth.