Over the past decade, the Glion Colloquium has established itself as an influential resource in addressing the challenges, roles, and responsibilities of the world's research universities. In this book, university leaders from around the world consider the role of research universities in addressing the challenges of global sustainability, including climate, environmental, economic, health, poverty, and geopolitical concerns. It was developed from topics discussed at the VIII Glion Colloquium in 2011.

The book discusses not only how research universities are adapting to the imperatives of global sustainability (e.g., social diversity, resource management, academic programs, research and scholarship), but also how they can develop new curricula, student experiences, research paradigms, social engagement, and international alliances to better address the challenges of global sustainability while producing globally identified citizens. The contributors also consider the implications of these profound economic, demographic, technological, and political changes for the sustainability of the research university itself.