About 200 university presidents, VPs and provosts, representing the upper echelon of academia, will converge on Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky later this week for the annual get-together of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities. CUMU is a group of more than 80 institutions interested in the economic health and well-being of the urban centers they serve, and this week's agenda includes experts on urban growth, planning and the role of universities play in revitalizing urban centers.
Getting those thought leaders to this region for a national academic conference is seen as great exposure for the area, as the region beat out seven other high-profile locations, says organizer Kimberly Luse. The past four conferences were held in New York City, South Beach, Fla., Los Angeles and Baltimore. The highlights include Steven Crawford of the Brookings Institution who will talk about his work on the Restoring Prosperity to Ohio initiative; and Paul Grogan, founder of CEOs for Cities and CEO of The Boston Foundation, who will talk about how universities can contribute to strengthening the economic competitiveness of their communities.
The conference will take place on the campus of Northern Kentucky University and is co-hosted by NKU and the University of Cincinnati. "It raises the tide for all boats in getting universities to think and act in a regional way," Luse says.
Writer: David Holthaus
Source: Pat Frew, Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau
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