University of Maryland President Darryll J. Pines will join global higher education leaders at the Universitas 21 Annual Network Meeting and Leadership Summit hosted by the University of Glasgow April 20–23, 2026.
The event brings together Presidents, Vice-Chancellors and Senior Leaders from Universitas 21 (U21), a global network of 31 leading research universities, to strengthen partnerships and advance international collaboration in research and education.
“Universities are central to knowledge diplomacy and global problem-solving,” said UMD Associate Vice President for International Affairs Ross Lewin. “Through networks like Universitas 21, we exchange ideas, build meaningful collaborations and help shape the future of higher education in an interconnected world.”
A keynote session, “Navigating a new world order: universities, geopolitics and global influence,” will feature Catriona Laing of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Simon Marginson of the Universities of Bristol and Oxford, exploring how universities exercise global influence and soft power in an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape.
The inaugural U21 Leadership Summit expands the traditional Presidential Symposium to include policymakers, sector experts and strategic partners, with speakers including Nobel Laureate David MacMillan; Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Founder of Biocon; and Katherine Grainger, Chancellor of the University of Glasgow.
The program will explore key issues facing higher education, including leadership development, artificial intelligence, global collaboration, and the evolving geopolitical landscape.
Jenny Dixon, Provost of Universitas 21, commented: “No single institution can solve the complex challenges facing higher education today. What networks like Universitas 21 provide is the ability for leading universities across the world to come together, share knowledge and shape solutions collectively.”