The University announced Wednesday that it has joined the Clinton Global Initiative University, the collegiate branch of the the initiative founded by former President Bill Clinton.
The CGI aims to bring together leaders and experts from around the world to solve problems facing humanity.
“We know that there is a strong interest in U.Va. students in being part of the global community and participating in projects that can provide help to communities around the world,” Engineering Prof. Garrick Louis said. Louis serves as the University liaison to the CGI.
Louis worked in conjunction with Vice President for Research Thomas Skalak and Politics Prof. Jeffrey Legro to secure the funding necessary to join the organization.
Operating under the same model as the CGI, the CGIU holds an annual conference at which students, experts and celebrities from around the world convene to discuss issues in five different fields: education, environment and climate change, peace and human rights, poverty alleviation and public health.
“The main thing is the size of the organization,” he said. “The CGI itself is a $73 billion organization, and even the CGIU has already raised more than $1 billion. Joining this network of 39 other universities gives a much broader opportunity for students.”
University students will have the opportunity to apply for places at the 2014 CGIU Conference, which will be held at Arizona State University in March 2014. Louis will assist students with the application process and obtaining aid.
“I would like to see U.Va. students take advantage of the early application process,” Louis said. “[These students] will have access to funds for travel to Arizona State.”
To gain eligibility to attend the conference, students must develop Commitments to Action — strategies that aim to produce measurable improvements on issues affecting campuses, local communities or different parts of the world. Louis said he will also be available to assist students through this phase of the project.
Students at the conference will have the opportunity to meet and work with 1,200 attendees. The conference will feature academic experts and leaders from nongovernmental organizations and the business world.
Since its inception in 2007, CGIU has seen the completion of more than 4,000 Commitments to Action. To the students who planned and carried out these initiatives have received more than $1 million in funding.
“I would really like to see U.Va. well-represented at that meeting because I think we have a strong tradition of global public service here at the University,” Louis said.
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