2024 Westlake Forum on Higher Education kicked off at the Yungu Campus of Westlake University in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, on Oct 18. The event saw participation from 25 universities across six countries, including the University of California, Berkeley, Rice University, Cornell University, the University of Chicago and KTH Royal Institute of Technology.

Presidents, deans and higher education experts engaged in insightful discussions, while nearly 200 university student representatives attended as observers. Andrew Hamilton, the 16th president of New York University, and Tony Chan, the 3rd president of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, inspired a reevaluation of the core mission of universities—"not only to create, preserve, and pass on knowledge but also to integrate with the times, transcend urban and national boundaries, and collaborate for the future of humanity".

Li Luming, president of Tsinghua University, and Zhang Xiang, president of the University of Hong Kong, highlighted the pivotal role of artificial intelligence in higher education, suggesting that future learning might extend beyond traditional campus settings to include combinations of human professors and AI entities.

The forum addressed current global crises and challenges in higher education through two thematic dialogues.

Parallel forums on Oct 19 will explore the empowerment of higher education through new technologies and the inaugural West Lake University Student Forum Agenda.