A symposium titled “The Future of the University and the University of the Future: A Global Perspective” prominently featured ideas and methods for designing universities that are implemented at ASU. The conference, which took place at the Technical University of Ambato in Ecuador, echoed President Michael Crow’s emphasis on innovation as a driving force of developing universities that meet the needs of their communities.

The symposium featured presentations by a several sustainability scientists, including Lee Hartwell, Netra Chhetri and Mary Jane Parmentier.

“This was an international conference on the design of higher education, specifically the place of science, technology and innovation, and the role of public policy, in designing universities and programs to meet the needs of society – particularly the society in which each institution is embedded," says Parmentier. "They wanted people from different countries to bring their perspective on the role of the university and best practices for university design.”