World Economic Forum invites universities to discuss COVID-19

The presidents of 43 of the world’s top universities, including Tec de Monterrey, discussed and shared actions that they have taken during the COVID-19 emergency.

The Tec was one of only 2 universities from Latin America invited by the World Economic Forum to the “Global University Leaders Forum”.

At this meeting, university leaders talked about best practices for tackling the current and future scenarios due to the pandemic crisis.

“We shared experiences that we’ve had in areas of student leadership and how universities are working within their countries’ ecosystems,” said Salvador Alva, President of the Tec.

Both Salvador Alva, current president of the Tec, and David Garza Salazar, who will occupy the position in July 2020, were present at the teleconference, alongside Guillermo Torre, Rector of Tec Salud.

The event was chaired by Oliver Schwab, Director of the World Economic Forum, and Suzanne Fortier, Vice-Chancellor of McGill University in Canada, who also leads the Global University Leaders Forum.

“This call confirmed that the Tec is part of the global vanguard, not only due to the quality of its teaching and research, but also due to its spirit of service and our mission to help,” said Alva.

A WORLDWIDE COLLABORATION 

The World Economic Forum launched a platform in 2020 with information and practices for tackling the current crisis due to the spread of COVID-19 across the world.

As part of its activities, it also organized the university leaders discussion in which the presidents of 43 top universities from 19 countries took part.

The purpose of the meeting was to share not only the steps these universities have taken to ensure the continuity of their educational programs, but also what they have learned and how they can prepare for the future.

“Global collaboration is occurring at greater speed and the World Economic Forum, which has made a lot of progress on this front, is encouraging all these universities and these countries to participate,” said Alva. 

Those present at the meeting discussed the need for universities to lead their communities in aspects such as public health, communication, and resilience.

They also discussed how universities can contribute to shaping the world after the coronavirus crisis by collaborating with governments and other stakeholders.

“We’re all attempting to contribute as much as we can with knowledge and services, as is the case for TecSalud, which makes us so proud,” said Salvador Alva.

STEPS TAKEN BY TEC DE MONTERREY

On Monday, March 23, Tec de Monterrey resumed its classes online for more than 90,000 students at high school, undergraduate, and postgraduate levels.

It also created a website on which it shares healthcare resources approved by TecSalud doctors and specialists.

What’s more, it created a special section called Taking Care of your Mind, which includes freely accessible content for mental healthcare.

Members of the Tec community have also taken action at some of the 26 campuses in Mexico, such as 3D printing medical protection equipment and designing low-cost ventilators.

The Tec is also collaborating in the Educational Innovation Network (RIE360), which includes 9 universities from Mexico, providing educational resources to innovate on teaching during the health emergency.

Those universities taking part in RIE360 include the UNAM, the IPN, and the UAM.

“I’m sure that we will come out of this more united as a society, with greater empathy and solidarity, better prepared to tackle the challenges to come. The participation of universities will be crucial to achieving this,” concluded Alva.

YOU’LL SURELY WANT TO READ: