REF NO.: 152

SUBJECT:

DATE: August 26, 2014

Note to editors:  

         The Council of Graduate Schools and Memorial University will convene the eighth annual Strategic Leaders Global Summit on Graduate Education Sept. 7-10.

         The summit will address pressing questions about preparing the next generation of research professionals to learn and collaborate beyond the bounds of one discipline.

         Scholars from 14 countries will discuss the advantages of mixing academic cultures and methods among STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), humanities and the social sciences; how to design, administer and evaluate degree programs for student success; and how graduate schools can build and sustain partnerships with public, private and non-profit funders to create interdisciplinary research and learning opportunities for students.

         An international steering committee conferred on the 2014 summit theme, Interdisciplinary Learning in Graduate Education and Research. In choosing this theme, the steering committee recognizes that complex questions in our global society cannot be answered using single methods or approaches. Master and doctoral students will be called upon to approach these questions, and summit participants will consider how best to train students to meet these challenges.

        Summit panellists were asked to explore interdisciplinarity in masters and doctoral education with regard to their own local contexts. The presentations to be shared at the event discuss how interdisciplinary learning and research might be integrated into graduate programs in order to train tomorrow’s global leaders.

         The event will take place at the Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland in St. John’s and at Fishers’ Loft in Port Rexton.

         The Council of Graduate Schools and Memorial University will share the summit outcomes and resulting consensus statement at a media forum on Wednesday, Sept. 10, from 11 a.m.–12 p.m. at the Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland. Suzanne Ortega, president, Council of Graduate Schools, and Dr. Noreen Golfman, dean, School of Graduate Studies, and incoming provost and vice-president (academic) pro tempore, Memorial University, and other summit speakers will be available for media interviews.

         Journalists are invited to conduct interviews with the leaders of the sponsoring institutions. Arrangements may also be made to interview summit leaders from specific countries. Speakers will be available to discuss the consensus statement and answer questions about topics relevant to their countries and institutions.

To attend the media forum or conduct interviews with summit leaders prior to the event, please contact Maureen McCarthy, CGS, by telephone at (202) 223-3791 or via email, mmccarthy@cgs.nche.edu; or Meaghan Whelan, Memorial University of Newfoundland, by telephone at (709) 864-2455 or via email, mcwhelan@mun.ca.    

Background The Strategic Leaders Global Summit is the only annual international forum for leaders in graduate education. Past summits have explored topics including program quality, dual-degree programs, graduate career outcomes and the global mobility of graduate talent.   Participants:  

Professor Vahan Agopyan, University of São Paulo, Brazil Dr. Marie Audette, Université Laval, Canada Dr. Robert Augustine, Eastern Illinois University, United States Dr. Sue Berners-Price, Griffith University, Australia Professor Verena Blechinger-Talcott, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany Professor Hans-Joachim Bungartz, Technische Universität München, Germany Dr. Chen Shiyi, Peking University, China Professor Denise Cuthbert, RMIT University, Australia Dr. John (Jay) Doering, University of Manitoba, Canada Dr. Noreen Golfman, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada Professor Roger Horn, Deakin University, Australia Professor Lucy Johnston, University of Canterbury, New Zealand Dr. Mohan Kankanhalli, National University of Singapore, Singapore Dr. Barbara Knuth, Cornell University, United States Dr. Melita Kovacevic, University of Zagreb, Croatia Dr. Nancy Marcus, Florida State University, United States Dr. Liviu Matei, Central European University, Hungary Dr. Maureen McCarthy, Council of Graduate Schools, United States Dr. Shireen Motala, University of Johannesburg, South Africa Dr. Suzanne Ortega, Council of Graduate Schools, United States Professor Laura Poole-Warren, University of New South Wales, Australia Dr. Nirmala Rao, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (China) Mr. Rafael Sidi, Senior Vice President, ProQuest Dr. Mark J.T. Smith, Purdue University, United States Professor Zaidatun Tasir, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia Dr. Tao Tao, Xiamen University, China Dr. Stefanie Thorne, University Campus Suffolk, United Kingdom Dr. Jiaping Wang, Zhejiang University, China Dr. Lesley Wilson, European University Association, Belgium Dr. James C. Wimbush, Indiana University, United States Dr. Lisa Young, University of Calgary, Canada