Community leaders to discuss importance of higher education to Hawaii’s future

HONOLULU—More than 200 representatives from business, community, labor, and government will join national and local education leaders on Friday, September 10 at 9:00 a.m. at the Hilton Hawaiian Village’s Tapa Ballroom for a daylong summit presented by the University of Hawaii to discuss national higher education trends and to talk about the importance of higher education to Hawaii’s future.

The summit, E Kamakani Hou (a new wind), will focus on key issues including increasing the state’s educational capital in line with Hawaii’s workforce needs and maximizing the state’s potential through research innovation and technology transfer to help fuel new industries in Hawaii and diversify the economy. Discussion workgroups will include a cross section of local business and community leaders collaborating on the topics of research, innovation and partnerships; education and jobs in the new economy; and producing more college graduates.

The summit will also feature a keynote address from U.S. Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter, who will discuss the Obama Administration’s higher education initiatives and how they relate to Hawaii’s efforts. The former chancellor of Foothill–De Anza Community College District, one of the nation’s largest community college districts, Kanter is the first community college leader to serve as under secretary of education for the U.S. Department of Education.

Other national speakers at the summit include James Duderstadt, president emeritus of the University of Michigan, and Dennis Jones, president of the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems. As University Professor of Science and Engineering, Duderstadt co-chairs the University of Michigan’s Science, Technology and Public Policy Program and directs the Millennium Project, a research center exploring the impact of over-the-horizon technologies on society. Jones has more than 40 years experience in research, development, technical assistance and administration in higher education management and policy-making.

“This summit is designed to build partnerships and maximize the University of Hawai‘i’s strengths to put the power of higher education to work for Hawaii. As Hawaii’s sole public institution of higher education, UH must be strong, innovative and collaborative as we prepare our students to thrive and be leaders in our increasingly competitive and global economy,” said UH President M.R.C. Greenwood. “The partnerships and discussions coming out of this summit will better position the university to continue to provide Hawai‘i and its students with the vibrant and forward-looking university system they deserve.”

For more information about the summit and a complete agenda, visit http://www.hawaii.edu/offices/op/edsummit.html.