Program Guide
Universities in the Age of Polycrisis:
Navigating AI, Geopolitics and the Future of Global Talent.
The 21st century university is no longer a stable institution navigating occasional crises. It is a resilient system operating in an era of continuous disruption. From geopolitical tensions and climate pressures to rapid technological breakthroughs such as generative AI, today’s world is increasingly shaped by what scholars describe as a polycrisis, the convergence of multiple, interconnected challenges that simultaneously affect economies, societies, and institutions.
By bringing together academic leaders from around the world, the Convention will foster dialogue, share perspectives, and envision the future role of universities in a rapidly transforming global landscape.
Convention Tracks
- Institutional resilience and crisis readiness
- Adaptive leadership and governance
- Strategic decision-making in uncertain environments
- Generative AI in higher education
- New models of teaching and assessment
- Preparing students for an AI-driven economy
- Skills for a complex global economy
- Entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary education
- Responsible and future-ready leadership
- Geopolitics and academic collaboration
- International mobility and global campuses
- New models of global cooperation
- Global positioning strategies
- The evolving role of rankings and accreditations
- Strengthening international reputation
The detailed agenda, including speakers and session formats, will be announced progressively.
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Sunday, November 16
Monday, November 17
Tuesday, November 18
Wednesday, November 19
Thursday, November 20
19:00 - 21:30
Welcome Networking Reception
Hôtel du Palais
08:00 - 09:00
Networking Breakfast
Hôtel du Palais - Dining Room
09:00 - 09:30
Official Opening Ceremony & Welcome Address
Main Auditorium
09:30 - 10:00
Keynote session
Universities at the Crossroads — Confronting the Polycrisis
Universities at the Crossroads — Confronting the Polycrisis
10:00 - 11:15
Leadership in Times of Disruption
- Institutions grappling with new financial realities, workforce challenges and technological disruption, against a backdrop of declining enrolment and geopolitical uncertainty
- Governance in the age of AI: who decides, who is accountable?
- Hiring freezes now widespread, merit pools shrinking — how do deans lead through internal pressures while projecting external strength?
- Institutions grappling with new financial realities, workforce challenges and technological disruption, against a backdrop of declining enrolment and geopolitical uncertainty
- Governance in the age of AI: who decides, who is accountable?
- Hiring freezes now widespread, merit pools shrinking — how do deans lead through internal pressures while projecting external strength?
Main Auditorium
11:15 - 11:45
Coffee Break & Networking
Foyer
11:45 - 13:00
AI and the Future of Learning
- AI is no longer optional — it is now woven into core curricula at schools like Wharton, Stanford GSB and MIT Sloan, integrated into finance, marketing, operations and strategy courses
- AI-specific degrees and short-term credentials in high-demand areas are rising fast, with many schools adopting certificate programmes in AI and fintech as fast-track options
- AI raises governance and ethical questions institutions are still struggling to answer — 93% plan to expand AI use within two years
- AI is no longer optional — it is now woven into core curricula at schools like Wharton, Stanford GSB and MIT Sloan, integrated into finance, marketing, operations and strategy courses
- AI-specific degrees and short-term credentials in high-demand areas are rising fast, with many schools adopting certificate programmes in AI and fintech as fast-track options
- AI raises governance and ethical questions institutions are still struggling to answer — 93% plan to expand AI use within two years
Main Auditorium
13:00 - 14:30
Networking Lunch
Hôtel du Palais - Dining Room
14:30 - 15:30
Reinventing Governance Under Pressure: From Crisis to Strategic Renewal
- Interactive case presentation by a leading institution
- Audience Q&A and peer discussion
- Interactive case presentation by a leading institution
- Audience Q&A and peer discussion
15:35 - 16:45
The DBA, a transformation journey of leaders
- Companies are moving away from generic job boards, favouring platforms that match candidates to specific skills — universities are expected to deliver 'day-one ready' talent
- The DBA as a leadership accelerator: MBA and DBA students balancing careers, families and academic demands face particular burnout risks that leading schools are now addressing
- The MBA fell from the main preference of 63% of prospective students in 2023 to 52% in 2024 — the rise of specialised degrees is reshaping how schools position their portfolio
Speaker: Prof. Kalika, President of Business Science Institute, France
- Companies are moving away from generic job boards, favouring platforms that match candidates to specific skills — universities are expected to deliver 'day-one ready' talent
- The DBA as a leadership accelerator: MBA and DBA students balancing careers, families and academic demands face particular burnout risks that leading schools are now addressing
- The MBA fell from the main preference of 63% of prospective students in 2023 to 52% in 2024 — the rise of specialised degrees is reshaping how schools position their portfolio
Speaker: Prof. Kalika, President of Business Science Institute, France
Main Auditorium
19:00 - 22:00
Eduniversal Palmes of Excellence Ceremony
Hôtel du Palais
08:00 - 09:00
Networking Breakfast
Hôtel du Palais - Dining Room
09:00 - 10:15
Global Partnerships in a Fragmented World
- International applications to programmes in Canada, the UK and the US declined in 2025, while they increased in other parts of Europe and Asia — alliances must be redrawn accordingly
- Global ageing patterns and longer working lives are reshaping demand for upskilling and reskilling in ways that favour lifelong learning, a new avenue for cross-border cooperation
- International applications to programmes in Canada, the UK and the US declined in 2025, while they increased in other parts of Europe and Asia — alliances must be redrawn accordingly
- Global ageing patterns and longer working lives are reshaping demand for upskilling and reskilling in ways that favour lifelong learning, a new avenue for cross-border cooperation
Main Auditorium
10:15 - 11:00
Special Address: The Geopolitical Future of Higher Education
Main Auditorium
11:00 - 11:30
Coffee Break & Networking
Foyer
11:30 - 12:45
Reputation, Rankings & Global Visibility
- Reputation and ranking remain the most important influencers on student recruitment — while visa barriers are growing, global visibility has never been more strategically critical
- Students are being more cautious, strategic and selective — transparency, flexibility and genuine career alignment matter more than ever
- Reputation and ranking remain the most important influencers on student recruitment — while visa barriers are growing, global visibility has never been more strategically critical
- Students are being more cautious, strategic and selective — transparency, flexibility and genuine career alignment matter more than ever
Main Auditorium
12:45 - 14:15
Networking Lunch
Hôtel du Palais - Dining Room
14:15 - 15:15
Global Partnerships — Best Practice Case
- Interactive case: building cross-border institutional alliances
- Peer exchange & audience discussion
- Interactive case: building cross-border institutional alliances
- Peer exchange & audience discussion
Conference Room A
15:20 - 16:20
Rankings & Visibility — Best Practice Case
- Institutional case study on reputation management
- Tools, metrics & strategic communication
- Institutional case study on reputation management
- Tools, metrics & strategic communication
Conference Room B
16:20 - 16:30
End-of-Day Reflection
Main Auditorium
16:30 - 17:30
Social & Cultural Activity
- Wine tasting & local gastronomy experience
- Curated by local experts/school — TBC
- Wine tasting & local gastronomy experience
- Curated by local experts/school — TBC
TBD
20:00 - 23:30
Eduniversal Gala Awards Ceremony — Top 45 Business Schools Worldwide
Hôtel du Palais - Grand Ballroom
08:00 - 09:00
Networking Breakfast
Hôtel du Palais - Dining Room
09:00 - 13:00
TBD
TBD
13:00 - 14:30
Networking Lunch
TBD
14:30 - 15:15
Future Horizons
Outlook: the university of 2030
Outlook: the university of 2030
Main Auditorium
15:15 - 16:30
Luxury Immersion Activity
TBC
19:30 - 22:00
Luxury Evening — Closing Dinner
Exclusive sponsored luxury evening
Exclusive sponsored luxury evening
Hôtel du Palais
09:00 - 15:00
Cultural Day
Isturitz & Oxocelhaya Prehistoric Caves