INCHEON, South Korea, Sept. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Incheon National University (INU) today hosted the first 'Port-city Universities Summit (PUS)' at its Songdo campus, bringing together representatives of 48 universities and 3 institutes from 11 countries worldwide.
INU aims to develop a global network among the port-city universities around the world to exchange ideas and views. The initiative is part of INU's efforts toward supporting the City of Incheon to become a truly global port city.
Prof. Michael Porter of Harvard Business School delivered a keynote speech at the PUS on 'Smart, Connected Products' that was followed by in-depth discussions on the competitiveness of port-cities and the role of the participating institutions located along global harbors.
President of INU Dong-Sung Cho, President of American University of Ras Al Kjaimah Prof. Hassan H. Al Alkim, and Vice President of Nankai University Prof. Yan Chunhua led the first round table on 'The role of universities in the era of Industry 4.0'.
The following session focused on the 'Role of universities for port and port-city development' with presentations made by Yokohama University President Yuichi Hasebe, Myanmar Maritime University Rector Myat Lwin, and National Taiwan Ocean University President Chang Ching Fong.
The final session focused on 'Best practices of port development and international cooperation' with General Manager at Ras Al Khaimah Ports Group Cliff Brand, ASEAN University Network Deputy Executive Director Choltis Dhirathiti, and Banaras Hindu University President Ramashray Prasad Singh.
Prof. Cho, the host of the first PUS, said, "To successfully meet the changes with the advent in the era of Industry 4.0, companies are searching for new talents with the capability for convergence. I strongly believe that port-city universities, where multiple elements of convergence take place, are strategically located to absorb and initiate innovation unseen integration and convergence. I expect that the PUS to pave the way for universities' mutual cooperation and collaborative efforts in various problem solving."
During the summit, INU conferred an Honorary Doctorate Degree on Professor Porter.
About Incheon National University (INU)
INU stands in the central area of Songdo near Incheon International Airport, an international business hub with up-to-date facilities such as IT, BT and NT. In compliance with the geographic feature and areal specialty, INU concentrates on international trade, goods distribution, applied technology convergence, BNT-based life science, urban science and the sinology based local humanity fields.
INU, is a member of the Port-city Universities League (PUL), which consists of 15 universities from 12 countries.
Media Contact (INU)
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