Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chancellor Julie Furst-Bowe will present “Preparing Women for College and University Presidencies” on Sunday, Sept. 7, at the sixth World Women University Presidents (WWUP) Forum being held in Beijing, China.
Furst-Bowe was invited to speak by the Organizing Committee of the WWUP Forum and Communication University of China (CUC). The theme of this year’s event is Women, Education and Leadership. The event anticipates 130 female university presidents from more than 43 countries and regions to attend.
“The sixth Forum will have women university presidents together with leaders from other areas to share discussions concerning their personal stories of leadership growth, women’s higher education, young women leadership and gender equality,” said Professor Liu Jinan, CUC honorary president and forum organizing committee chairperson, in her invitation to Furst-Bowe.
Forum activities include keynote speeches, panels, seminars and round tables. The newly registered Women Leadership Academy approved by the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs will be launched at the forum as well.
In her letter to Furst-Bowe, Jinan pointed to the United Nations’ historical influence on the forum. “According to the United Nations’ Millennium Declaration ratified in 2000, UNESCO has been committed to eliminating gender difference in primary education and higher education,” she said. “By 2015, its goal is to eradicate gender differences in all-levels of education. UNESCO has envisioned women’s innovation in the field of new humanism, which acknowledges that women can facilitate social development in harmony with the development of politics, economies and cultures.”
About The World Women University Presidents Forum
The World Women University Presidents Forum was launched by Communication University of China in 2001. It has been a platform to integrate the world’s women university leaders’ power and wisdom. During the past 14 years, five forums have been successfully held in Beijing, Nanjing and Xiamen with six sub-forums held in New Zealand, Japan, the United States, Turkey, Zimbabwe and Mexico. Over 800 participants from 79 countries and regions have attended. The Forum has also received considerable attention from UNESCO, international political figures and mainstream media. It has developed into a branding platform for female university presidents around the world.