Thematic Networking Dinner focused on “The Role of Universities in Global Governance and Peacebuilding” on the Occasion of the 28th Rectors’ Assembly of the League of European Research Universities

Dear Colleagues and Friends:

A very warm welcome to you all and thank you for being with us this evening.

This networking dinner takes place as part of the Rectors’ Assembly of the League of European Research Universities, which brings together the largest research universities in the European context. I am very pleased to welcome the Rectors of these important partners of the United Nations to the Palais des Nations and to thank them for their global engagement. This is the first meeting of its kind here at the Palais des Nations. But I hope that it will not be the last and we look forward to welcoming you back on future occasions.


A warm welcome also to the many representatives of International Geneva who all in different ways highlight the incredible richness of the work that is undertaken from Geneva and the range of expertise that is embedded here. International Geneva is not only the operational hub of the international system but also a very important innovation and knowledge centre with global reach. I am glad that we have this opportunity to showcase these intellectual strengths and the value of the interaction that takes place here between research, reflection and implementation.

I often point to how the combined efforts of the international community here touch every single person on this planet, every single day. The same is true for the combined research output of the universities that are represented here today. I believe we have a common objective in highlighting this wide-ranging impact of our activities and also in seeing how we can create greater synergies.

There can be no doubt that we can only address the complex challenges of today if our solutions are firmly rooted in research and evidence. We need continued investment in and engagement with the research community. We often talk about how we live in a knowledge society. But for that to be true, we need to ensure that knowledge guides our collective efforts - and that can only happen through a partnership between research and policy-making and operational implementation.

While universities and international organizations may approach this task from different vantage points, we share a deep commitment to education and to progress in the broadest sense. Whether it is by expanding our collective knowledge base or by creating policy frameworks that promote peace, rights and well-being for all, our efforts are aimed at individual and collective empowerment that can help to build a better world. And I hope that with this dinner we can explore opportunities for strengthening our partnership to help us achieve these shared objectives.

This is also why I am particularly pleased that we will start this evening with a small symbolic ceremony to mark the commitment of the League of European Research Universities to making the voice of research heard more clearly in global policy-making - by applying for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council and by joining the United Nations Academic Impact, which is a global initiative that aligns institutions of higher education with the United Nations in a shared culture of intellectual social responsibility. In different ways, these two avenues will allow the League to bring forward the vision of universities in the global arena.

During our dinner, we will benefit from the insights of Mr. Barroso who already as a student was exposed to the particular intellectual stimulus of International Geneva. We are pleased that he is now returning to enrich the research and the policy discussions here with his experience at the highest levels of policy-making. A very practical example of the value of exchange between research and policy.

It is a particular privilege to host this dinner with my friend and colleague, Professor Vassalli, who has been so instrumental in enhancing the partnership between the University of Geneva and the United Nations family here. I appreciate the opportunity to pay tribute to him and to thank him for the very close working relations we have enjoyed during his tenure.

Professor Vassalli, I have been impressed by your personal commitment and conviction when it comes to partnerships. A commitment and a conviction that I fully share. Together, we have established a very strong foundation for collaboration across a range of areas. This is an important legacy for you, and has added a new dimension to International Geneva. On behalf of the United Nations here in Geneva, thank you very much for your leadership and your dedication.

It is now my pleasure to hand over the floor to Professor Vassalli for a few opening remarks and to introduce the ceremony to mark the application for consultative status and United Nations Academic Impact membership.

Thank you very much.