President Shirley Ann Jackson was among global leaders gathered for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland from January 28 to February 1. The 2009 Forum hosted various minds from government, business, academia, media, the arts, and civil society.
The title of the meeting this year was “Shaping the Post-Crisis World,” which was focused on how to manage the current financial crisis and develop a plan once the crisis has subsided.
The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging leaders in partnership to shape global, regional, and industry agendas.
According to conference organizers, the “objective [is] to catalyze a holistic and systematic approach to improve the state of the world in a manner that integrates all stakeholders of global society.”
Jackson participated as a panelist in two forums: “Scientific Research: What Should We Expect?” and “Regulating Complex Industries.”
The first forum focused on how to manage the expectations of the public, policy-makers, and investors, and—in light of the large impact of scientific research on society—the potential of science, especially the scientific advances that will be made over the next decade. There were several recommendations that came out of this discussion. One was that more investment in regulatory oversight is needed to allow regulators to understand science in order to provide a framework for bringing new products into use. Another idea was to create ways to help meet funding conditions through cooperation between scientists. Finally, the panel decided science should be embedded in a liberal arts education and that connecting science with policy-makers is key.
The second forum Jackson participated in questioned how complex industries like mobility, finance, and food can be effectively regulated at national and international levels. The panel discussed how business leaders have their feet on the gas, while regulators have their feet on the brake; also discussed was how regulation is needed to prevent information asymmetries.
Jackson was also invited to attend the Global University Leaders Forum, in which various university leaders from around the world will have the opportunity to meet.
“Now, more than ever, as we face these extraordinary economic challenges in our homes, our universities, our communities, our corporations, and our countries, it is imperative to collaborate in charting a sustainable path,” Jackson said in an RPI press release. “It is through gatherings such as this that we are effectively broadening Rensselaer’s global reach and global impact, particularly as we work to expand opportunities for our students to enhance their multi-cultural sophistication in preparation for leadership in the global economy.”
