Davos: O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) announced the launch of the World University Leaders Forum (WULF) at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, establishing the first dedicated global higher education leadership platform convened at the Forum. The initiative brings together eminent academics and university leaders from across the world to foster dialogue, share best practices and collaboratively address global challenges facing higher education and society.

The establishment of WULF reflects JGU’s long-standing commitment to international academic collaboration and to advancing inclusive, equitable and sustainable development. Inspired by India’s civilisational traditions of higher learning and shaped by the visionary global philanthropy of Naveen Jindal, JGU has, over the past two decades, embedded internationalisation and cross-border engagement at the heart of its institutional mission and global outlook.

WULF offers an open and democratic platform through which universities from the Global North and the Global South can engage as equal partners, learn from one another and co-create innovative solutions. The Forum seeks to strengthen academic linkages worldwide, promote collaborative initiatives addressing shared priorities and enable universities to play a proactive role in advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through teaching, research, policy engagement, community outreach and global partnerships.

The inaugural World University Leaders Forum at Davos will be hosted and moderated by Professor C. Raj Kumar, Vice-Chancellor, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, India. The distinguished speakers will include Professor Marvin Krislov, President, Pace University, New York, USA; Professor Sherine Farouk, Assistant Chancellor for Global Partnerships and Impact, Abu Dhabi University, UAE; Professor Joanna Newman, Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, SOAS University of London, UK; Professor Masa Inakage, Dean, Keio University Graduate School of Media Design, Tokyo, Japan; and Dr. Ashwin Fernandes, Executive Director, QS Quacquarelli Symonds, London, UK. Together, these global academic leaders will contribute to a high-level dialogue on the future of higher education and global collaboration in the context of fulfilling the SDGs.

Speaking on the occasion, Professor (Dr) C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice-Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University, said, “The World University Leaders Forum (WULF) envisions a globally connected, inclusive and democratic higher education ecosystem in which universities from all regions of the world collaborate to advance knowledge, address global challenges and contribute meaningfully to the public good. At JGU, we have sought to demonstrate that internationalisation in higher education is about building enduring intellectual, institutional and human connections across borders.”

The distinguished panellists include academics and higher education leaders from some of the world’s leading institutions, with Professor (Dr) C. Raj Kumar also serving as Chair of the panel discussion.

The inaugural panel discussion focuses on the role of universities in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals and building a future grounded in equity, innovation and resilience. It aligns closely with the core priorities of the World Economic Forum, including cooperation in a more contested world, unlocking new sources of growth, investing better in people, responsibly deploying innovation at scale and building prosperity within planetary boundaries.

WULF represents a major milestone in global higher education leadership and the next chapter in JGU’s mission to foster sustained academic dialogue, institutional collaboration and societal impact. The Forum builds on JGU’s extensive experience of convening national, regional and global initiatives, from early conferences on higher education and globalisation to world university summits, the Asia Pacific Higher Education Summit and the forthcoming Global Conference of STAR Scholars in December 2026.

The World University Leaders Forum envisions a globally connected, inclusive and collaborative higher education ecosystem in which universities from all regions work together to advance knowledge, address shared challenges and contribute meaningfully to the public good, strengthening education and society for generations to come.