Permanent Secretariat at
About the IFPU
Historical Context
The idea of a new forum first took emerged in the follow-up to the meetings held at the Université de Montréal in 2004 to mark the 125th anniversary of its foundation. Twelve rectors met to discuss new university management practices in the context of globalization. At the request of the rectors, a second meeting was held at the Université Libre de Bruxelles in 2005. The discussions at this meeting focused on the responsibilities of universities with regard to values, change and governance. A third smaller and more technical meeting to discuss the creation of the new International Forum of Public Universities was held in Paris on March 16, 2006.
While the meeting in Montréal in 2004 was an opportunity for the rectors to clearly identify the challenges facing public universities in the context of globalization, the Brussels seminar in 2005 served to define the responsibilities of public universities with respect to values, change and governance.
In their conclusions, the participants at the Brussels meeting prioritized three measures:
- To share information of common interest, particularly statistics and best practices.
- To build a network of experts to focus on two issues, namely, major contemporary challenges, and university management. The first issue focused on two objectives: to develop a study program and establish research partnerships.
- To participate in meetings on various themes including the public/private good and the entrepreneurial university within the framework of a broader reflection on the res publica, the role of the professor, the role of the rector, technology transfer, the commercialization of research, doctoral training, faculty organization and governance.