Annual Presidents’ Meeting: Shaping the Future of Higher Education in the Pacific Rim

The APRU 29th Annual Presidents’ Meeting (APM) 2025 officially concluded in June. Hosted by UC San Diego, this three-day gathering brought together 28 university presidents, 98 academic leaders, and experts from 47 institutions across 15 economies in the Pacific Rim to explore the future of longevity. This year’s APM highlighted how universities, through collaborative research and forward-thinking leadership, could drive solutions to extend healthy life expectancy, address disparities, and prepare the next generation to contribute meaningfully to these global issues. This theme highlighted: AI and Longevity: Global Challenges and International Research Collaboration University Innovation for Longevity: Biotechnology, and Public Health The Role of Higher Education and Social and Economic Policy in Facing Aging Populations Engagement of next generation of leaders and scholars to ensure sustainable, resilient, equitable solutions to aging

The Annual Presidents’ Meeting of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) once again served as a perfect platform for more than over 120 heads and representatives of 48 APRU member universities to exchange views on the joint efforts that universities can make to address climate change and its effects on the ocean through research, student activities, and working with communities. APRU’s 28th Annual Presidents’ Meeting was hosted by the University of Auckland, New Zealand, in late June as a three day- event under the theme “Oceans – The World’s Challenges Divide Us, the Ocean Currents Connect Us”. The panel discussions centered on key topics include: 1. Navigating the Tides: APRU Leadership in Addressing Climate Change 2. Guardians of the Blue: Protecting Biodiversity for the Ocean 3. Sea, Soil, Sustenance: Pathways to Resilient Food Systems 4. Advancing Climate Equity in the Asia-Pacific and Implications for Communities

This Annual Presidents’ Meeting 2023 Report captures the precious moments which delegates of universities from Asia-Pacific came together to address critical global issues. The 3-day meeting saw over 140 presidents, higher education leaders and guests from over 50 institutions to address on sustainability issues and share innovative thoughts about the goals we need to reach, to bring us closer to a sustainable future for humanity.