Times Higher Education announces inaugural Young Universities Summit

Times Higher Education will host the world’s first global gathering dedicated to the specific challenges and opportunities facing young universities.

The Times Higher Education Young Universities Summit, hosted by Times Higher Education magazine in partnership with the UK’s Plymouth University, will take place in Miami on 28 April 2014 ahead of the publication of the 2014 THE 100 Under 50 rankings.

The free event, part of the Times Higher Education World Summit series, will bring together the leaders of institutions under 50 years old.

The summit will be held ahead of the official live launch, on 30 April 2014, of this year's THE 100 Under 50 rankings, which list the world’s top 100 universities under 50 years old.

As well as providing networking opportunities, the summit will address a number of key issues:

• How can young universities compete on a world stage?
• The challenges of establishing world-class universities without centuries of history and tradition
• Developing a niche research strategy
• Leadership challenges for less established universities
• Funding and the pursuit of excellence
• Distinctiveness and brand in a competitive global market

Times Higher Education rankings editor Phil Baty will also host a consultative discussion on proposed new rankings metrics designed to better capture innovation and knowledge transfer in world rankings in the future.

The event will also provide an exclusive preview of the Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 2014 rankings, with trend analysis and case studies. The 100 Under 50 rankings will be launched live at the British Council’s Going Global event in Miami on 30 April 2014.

Mr Baty said: “The vast majority of the world's top universities share a core element in common: they are old. Often enjoying many centuries of tradition, the likes of the University of Oxford (which can trace its origins to 1096) and Harvard University (1636) can draw on rich cultures of scholarship, many years’ worth of wealth accumulation, and enduring networks of alumni ambassadors to become bastions of world-class education and research.

“But the world is changing. A new breed of universities is challenging the established order. With the right support, strategy and leadership, some institutions have managed to join the world's top table in just decades, not centuries. Others are showing great promise, and many more have clear missions to join the global elite – often backed by governments or private funders committed to driving the knowledge economy.

“We are delighted to have developed an exciting new event for these exciting, dynamic institutions.”

The event has been timed to coincide with the British Council’s Going Global 2014 event in Miami, the global forum for world leaders of international education to debate the role the international arena plays in global tertiary education policy.