Building the Engaged University, Moving beyond the Ivory Tower

Building the Engaged University, Moving beyond the Ivory Tower, 2011 Talloires Network Leaders Conference, The Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain – June 14-16, 2011.
The 2011 Talloires Network Leaders Conference – “Building the Engaged University, Moving beyond the Ivory Tower” – is organized in partnership with the Autonomous University of Madrid, Innovations in Civic Participation, TakingITGlobal, and Tufts University. The conference is sponsored by Carnegie Corporation, the Pearson Foundation, and Santander Bank. The official media sponsor is University World News.
Over three days, the conference will explore how to deepen the impact of community engagement in the higher education sector. Higher education leaders from every corner of the world will gather to shape the future of civic engagement, community outreach, and social responsibility in higher education.
The conference themes include technology and social change, government policy to support engagement, access and widening participation, environmental sustainability and climate change, the role of higher education in political transition, and crisis and disaster response.
The 2011 Talloires Network Leaders Conference has the following goals:
- Explore in a frank and open manner the lessons learned by universities implementing community engagement programs, with a focus on challenges and opportunities
- Examine community engagement as a distinct area of work in higher education, requiring professional development, policy support and financing
- Discuss high-impact higher education policies and practices for supporting community engagement
- Network with higher education leaders from around the world, as well as funders, government officials and members of the press
- A conference resolution will be developed by a diverse global team to focus action around the conference themes
Plenary and Concurrent sessions will explore a variety of topics:
- A special panel of government officials to discuss policy in support of community engagement
- Tracks during the Concurrent sessions will explore technology and social change, access and widening participation, environmental sustainability and climate change, the role of higher education in political transition, peace and conflict resolution, and crisis and disaster response.