Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber attended the 46th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, from Jan. 20 to 23. The annual meeting brings together leaders, scholars and practitioners from the public and private sectors to address a wide range of pressing global problems.
Brad Smith, president and chief legal officer of Microsoft, speaks at a Princeton in Davos program in Switzerland on Friday, Jan. 22, while University President Christopher L. Eisgruber looks on. Smith and Eisgruber discussed ways university collaborations with non-academic partners can foster innovation. (Photo by Thomas Quirk, Office of Development)
Eisgruber met with leaders from a variety of organizations and industries, participated in the annual meeting of the Global University Leadership Forum with about 25 university presidents from around the world, and hosted a reception for alumni and friends of the University.
The reception program Friday, Jan. 22, featured a conversation between Eisgruber and Microsoft President and Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith, a member of the Princeton Class of 1981 and a University trustee. Eisgruber and Smith discussed how university collaborations with non-academic partners can help to create vibrant innovation ecosystems and address major challenges facing society.
"Much of the conversation at Davos this year centered on the innovation ecosystem and its impact, topics that have also been important to Princeton's strategic planning process," Eisgruber said. "I appreciated the opportunity to talk about these subjects with Princeton alumni and other leaders from the academic, business, and political worlds."
