For the first time in the United States, the presidents of 13 premier universities from Asia and the Middle East will gather at Washington University in St. Louis May 4-7 to discuss ways their institutions are addressing global energy and environmental concerns. These institutions include Peking, Fudan, Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay, National Taiwan, Tsinghua and Yonsei universities.

The International Symposium on Energy and Environment is sponsored by Washington University's McDonnell International Scholars Academy. For more information on the academy, please visit http://mcdonnell.wustl.edu/.

"We are privileged to host the first meeting of the partner universities of the McDonnell International Scholars Academy here in St. Louis," said Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton. "The 20 university partners in the Academy engage more than 200,000 of the world's most talented students, and it will be rewarding to have so many outstanding academic leaders addressing the global challenges associated with energy and environment. The symposium is intended to identify opportunities to develop collaborative education and research programs involving Washington University and its international partners."

Key speakers will include the former United States Ambassador to the United Nations, the president of the National Academy of Sciences and Monsanto Company's top executive. Organizers hope the meeting will result in new collaborative research and education projects facilitated by the McDonnell Academy. A preliminary program and details of the program are available at www.eer.wustl.edu.

"This is part of a general effort at Washington University to create a model for a more global university based on partnerships with a network of the world's leading research institutions," said James V. Wertsch, Ph.D., the Marshall S. Snow Professor in Arts & Sciences and director of the McD
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Contact: Neil Schoenherr
nschoenherr@wustl.edu
314-935-5235
Washington University in St. Louis
16-Apr-2007