World Class University Presidents Forum 2026 -  Higher Education Reimagined: Innovating for the Future

The 2026 World Class University Presidents Forum (WCUPF) convenes leaders of the world's foremost universities for a candid conversation about the future of higher education. During this period of extraordinary change—driven by artificial intelligence (AI), shifting geopolitics, new economic demands, and rising questions about the value and purpose of universities themselves—the Forum seeks to explore not how universities can adapt, but how they can lead.

Under the theme "Higher Education Reimagined: Innovating for the Future", this inaugural Forum brings together presidents, rectors, and vice-chancellors across borders and disciplines to confront the defining challenges of our time: governing the age of AI, advancing global health and open science, meeting the world’s grand challenges, powering the future economy, and deepening the university's bond with the communities it serves. Through the keynote addresses and intimate roundtable dialogues, participants will engage in candid discussions—the kind that can only be undertaken by peers who carry the same responsibilities.

Please note that this is a closed-door event with attendance limited to invited guests.