World's top experts set to meet at the Academic Summit in November 16-20

A high-quality programme is scheduled for the Aalto University Academic Summit, held between 16 and 20 November 2014. The programme will include the award ceremony for the World Cultural Council (WCC). Entry to all events at the Summit is free-of-charge.

The event will bring together top names from academia and the business world to engage in a globally-significant debate about the role of universities in supporting economic growth, job creation, and wellbeing in the information society. The event will include the ceremony for WCC World Awards of Science granted to two leading researchers, who will also deliver public lectures. Six talented young researchers from Aalto University will also receive World Cultural Council’s Special Recognitions

The theme of this year's Academic Summit is ‘The Impact of Universities on Economic Growth’. Speakers at the event include Nobel Prize-winner Edmond H. Fischer (Medicine and Physiology, 1992), this year's recipient of the Millennium Prize, Stuart Parkin, and the winner of this year's Marcus Wallenberg Prize, Magnus Berggren.

The Academic Summit will convene seven sessions over two days (Tuesday 18th & Wednesday 19th Nov.), which will address the issue of the impact that universities make from different perspectives. The sessions will be attended by an international cohort of experts in innovation and representatives of the business sector and academia.

The Summit will draw to a close on Thursday 20 November with a round of thematic presentations to be held on the university's Otaniemi campus.

Most of the programme events will be held in Dipoli on the Otaniemi campus. Entry to all events at the Summit is free-of-charge. We look forward to seeing you there!

In June, the World Cultural Council conferred two significant academic awards. The Albert Einstein World Award of Science recognises the encouragement of scientific and technological research and development for the benefit of humankind.  This year's award was conferred on Professor Philip Cohen from the University of Dundee, UK. The Jose Vasconcelos World Award of Education, was conferred on Professor Federico Rosei from the University of Quebec, Canada. It is granted to renowned educator, an authority in the field of teaching, innovation, and science.

The World Cultural Council (WCC) is an international cooperation network established in 1981. The WCC aims to forge and further relationships with and among prestigious scientific, educational and the cultural organisations worldwide, fostering a culture of wellbeing, peace and fraternity across the globe. The WCC annually confers the Albert Einstein World Award of Science, the José Vasconcelos World Award of Education and the Leonardo da Vinci World Award of Arts.