Shenzhen, China – Universities play a central role in advancing solutions to the world's major challenges, according to NYIT President Edward Guiliano, Ph.D.

President Guiliano presented his ideas on globalism and higher education during his speech at the World University Presidents Forum in Shenzhen, China on August 13. This year, presidents and representatives from more than 160 universities from around the globe attended, with President Guiliano as the sole American participant.

"Universities are natural incubators of ideas, collaboration, and ingenuity," President Guiliano says. "As educators, we serve our society and act as natural pioneers. Higher education is just as important as government or business in today's global discourse on sustainability."

The three-day forum, sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Education and the Shenzhen Municipal Government, provides a platform for participants to exchange ideas, promote mutual understanding, and deepen intercollegiate cooperation among universities around the world.

"I believe in the 21st century that our campuses must be more like 'idea centers'" according to President Guiliano. "Universities are the link in uniting ideas, cultures, nations, economies and research."

As part of his speech, President Guiliano presented a video on NYIT's sustainability initiatives.

Keynote speaker Madam Liu Yandong, state councilor of the People's Republic of China, spoke about deepening "people-to-people exchange" for world prosperity, harmony, and human progress. Her remarks outlined important initiatives for higher education policy in China. Other speakers included Minister of Education Yuan Guiren and Irina Bokova, director-general of United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

NYIT-Nanjing offers degrees in computer science, communication arts, and electrical and computer engineering. NYIT also offers programs in coordination with Tongji University in Nanchang, Tsinghua University-Hebei in Shanghai, and Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics (JUFE) in Nanchang.

Read more: President Guiliano's Speech, Globalism and Higher Education: Modeling the 21st Century

Media Coverage

• Xinhua News Agency
• Shenzhen Daily
• Shenzhen Government Online

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About NYIT

New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) offers 90 degree programs, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees, in more than 50 fields of study, including architecture and design; arts and sciences; education; engineering and computing sciences; health professions; management; and osteopathic medicine. A non-profit independent, private institution of higher education, NYIT has 14,000 students attending campuses on Long Island and Manhattan, online, and at its global campuses. NYIT sponsors 11 NCAA Division II programs and one Division I team.

Led by President Edward Guiliano, NYIT is guided by its mission to provide career-oriented professional education, offer access to opportunity to all qualified students, and support applications-oriented research that benefits the larger world. To date, 89,000 graduates have received degrees from NYIT. For more information, visit nyit.edu.

Elaine Iandoli
Office of Communications and Marketing
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