David Garza discussed the future of higher education and the economy on a panel with global university leaders
Tecnológico de Monterrey was the only Mexican university invited to participate on a panel at THE World Academic Summit 2025, organized by Times Higher Education (THE).
David Garza, Executive President of the Tecnológico de Monterrey Education Group, represented the institution at this summit, which took place from October 7 to 9 in Thuwai, Saudi Arabia, and is one of the most prestigious in the academic world.
The event gathered 600 academic leaders from 65 countries, including over sixty university presidents, to discuss how higher education institutions can be agents of progress in the face of global challenges.
“Participating in these forums enables us to contribute our vision and perspective on challenges and opportunities in higher education,” said Garza.
“(It enables us) to share our experience in educational innovation, applied research, liaison with industry, and internationalization, as well as discover what other universities are doing, collaborate with them, and continue to be at the cutting edge to the benefit of our students and our country,” he added.
The Tec on the panel “Higher Education and the Future Economy”
David Garza was on the panel “Higher Education and the Future Economy.”
During his time on this panel, the executive shared his vision of how universities should get ready to train students for jobs that don’t yet exist.
“We’ve fallen in love with that phrase: ‘We train students for jobs that don’t yet exist,’ using technologies that haven’t yet been invented, and solving problems that we haven’t yet identified.”
He explained that the Tec’s Education Model responds to this vision with challenge-based education, in which 50% of learning occurs in practical experiences developed in collaboration with training partners.
“We decided to shift from lecture-based classes to a more experiential model, in which challenges are designed by professors and external educational partners with clear learning outcomes.”
The executive president emphasized how this education model seeks to train students on soft skills or power skills.
“These skills are adaptability, resilience, flexibility, and decision-making, which are becoming more essential in a world impacted by artificial intelligence.
He clarified that, “these shouldn’t be thought of as secondary skills but on the same level as technical ones.”
Garza shared the stage with:
- Andreas Cangellaris, President of NEOM University;
- Radenka Maric, President of the University of Connecticut;
- Michael Spence, President of University College London; and
- Sock-Yong Phang, Vice Provost of Faculty Matters at Singapore Management University, who moderated the panel.
“I like to say that I belong to the industry of hope because those of us in the world of education are always striving to build a better world and society.”
Tec de Monterrey’s academic leadership
Garza said he is proud to be invited to panels at these kinds of forums, this being the second time he has been invited to the Times Higher Education summit.
“This reflects how we’re gaining recognition, that people have noticed what we’re doing.
“We at the Tecnológico de Monterrey Education Group are convinced that universities play a fundamental role in transforming societies. That’s why we’re committed to agile, constant development in sync with the changing world we live in.”
He also spoke of how universities should evolve into “multiversities,” which can provide continuing education, intersectoral alliances, and an active role in solving major global challenges.
“We should embrace our role as centers forlifelong learning and become neutral spaces for tackling the world’s major challenges in collaboration with governments, industry, and academia.”
“We’ve fallen in love with that phrase: we train students for jobs that don’t yet exist, using technologies that haven’t yet been invented, and solving problems that we haven’t yet identified.”
He also emphasized the economic and social impact of universities.
“Our alumni have created over three million jobs and 200,000 companies, a clear example of universities’ economic and social impact.”
In closing, Garza invited the audience to hold a long-term vision and an optimistic spirit toward future challenges.
“We need to be adaptable, flexible, and collaborate more to get ready for the future. Universities have always shown they can think long term.
“I like to say that I belong to the industry of hope because those of us in the world of education are always striving to build a better world and society.”
THE world rankings 2026 announced: Tec #1 university in Mexico
The results of the THE World University Rankings 2026 were announced during the summit, which place Tec de Monterrey as the top university in Mexico, a position it has held since 2017.
What’s more, the Tec holds fourth place in Latin America, sharing this position with the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Espíritu Santo University (Ecuador), Paulista State University (Brazil), and the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil).
Worldwide, the Tec is in the 601-800 band.
This year, evaluation firm THE ranked 2,191 universities from 115 countries, including 21 Mexican institutions.
These rankings measured each institution’s performance in five areas:
- Teaching
- Research Environment
- Research Quality
- Industry
- International Outlook
About World Academic Summit 2025
The World Academic Summit is the flagship event of Times Higher Education and was held for the first time in the Middle East this year in collaboration with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) to explore the role of universities as active agents of progress.
This summit gathered 600 academic leaders from 65 countries, including over sixty university presidents.
The Tec was invited to represent Mexico in this forum for outstanding institutions in the Times Higher Education (THE) global rankings.
This is one of the world’s best-known lists for evaluating universities based on their research, teaching, internationalization, knowledge transfer, and social impact.
Participants include University of Oxford (THE #1), University of Chicago (THE #13), Nanyang Technological University (THE #30), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (THE #66), and Durham University (THE #172).
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