Durban was host to some 650 University presidents and top administrators who met for their five-yearly conference. They elected Hans van Ginkel, rector of UNU as their new president, and heard from Ismail Serageldin who in his (illustrated) keynote address challenged them to implement their commitment to international collaboration by helping the developing countries’ universities, and especially to think of some key roles for the centers of excellence. He specifically cited the new library of Alexandria that is now being completed in Egypt, and to which he hopes to devote some time having relinquished many of his international roles to go back to his home country Egypt for that purpose.
In the next day panel, he reiterated the importance of flexibility and recognizing the role of the different stakeholders in the management of the university of tomorrow.
