Many major universities of today are global entities with footprints in multiple countries.  What are the driving forces, goals and outcomes of these efforts; particularly as connections between East and West are formed? What are the advantages of physical (re)location particularly with the availability of distance learning and virtual communication.  What are the critical ingredients for the successes of these endeavors and how is success measured?  What are the challenges and opportunities of the architect and planner in this multifaceted process?  

We will be looking at various distinct models such as : NYU Shanghai, Education City in Qatar, Asian University for Women, as well as that of the ‘virtual campus’ : Columbia University’s Studio ‘X’, in a series of short presentations and a moderated panel discussion among architects, educators, planners, and University visionaries.