Universities Ask G7 Leaders to Prioritize Future Generations
The U7+ Alliance today issued a statement asking G7 leaders to take into account the interests of future generations as the world recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and seeks to mitigate the effects of climate change.
The Alliance, a group of universities including Bocconi University, spanning six continents and representing all of the G7 nations as well as 10 other nations, urged world leaders to harness opportunities for equitable resource-sharing across generations and recognize universities' role as primary global actors.
"As an alliance of universities, we sit at the crossroads of generations-in a space where knowledge is generated and new, bolder visions for the future are imagined-and have committed to serving as platforms for open intergenerational dialogue," the statement reads.
The G7 leaders are set to arrive today in the UK with coronavirus recovery topping the agenda. Resilience against future pandemics, the Alliance statement says, hinges on the education of citizens. "The preparation of the next generation of leaders must be a paramount concern," the statement reads.
"Bocconi University has always played a leading role in international academic networks and has supported since its inception in 2019 the U7+ Alliance to promote at the highest level the debate on issues relevant to the most prestigious universities worldwide" says Stefano Caselli, Dean for International Affairs and member of the U7+ Steering Committee. Moreover, "the challenge of U7+ Alliance is now to become a counterpart to G7 for higher-education issues. The manifesto addressed to the world leaders for the G7 hosted by Great Britain is to promote intergenerational justice, looking at the conditions that make possible the formation of a class of future global leaders."
On climate, the Alliance emphasized the commitment of its members to addressing environmental issues through providing access to related courses, facilitating intergenerational dialogues and actively working to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions from by 2030.
The Alliance also urged the G7 to incorporate the intergenerational lens as they advocate for the values of democracy, human rights and free speech. It also called on world leaders to promote access to higher education for youth from marginalized backgrounds.
The U7+ Alliance is the first international coalition of university presidents aimed at structuring and advancing the role of universities as global actors across the multilateral agenda. Alliance members meet annually to establish a common agenda and identify key areas for coordinated action.
Read the full statement: https://www.u7alliance.org/u7-alliance-of-world-universities-statement-to-the-g7/