* Collaboration propels students to make impactful Commitments to Action
* ISEN will host information sessions for interested students on Sept. 24th and 25th
[September 22] Evanston, IL -- Northwestern University has joined the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) with organizational representation from the Institute of Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern (ISEN). Founded by President Bill Clinton in 2007, CGI U networks the innovation talents of students from more than 300 universities across the globe to foster student-led actions that address sustainability issues impacting their communities and the world.
Students, individually or in teams, will form and submit commitments to action in one of five key focus areas: education, the environment and climate change, peace and human rights, poverty alleviation, and public health.
Northwestern University's legacy of broad support for student research and global engagement by entities that include the Office for Research, ISEN, Medill and the Buffett Center through the Provost's undergraduate research grant program, has positioned it as a hub for collaborative interdisciplinary research.
"Each student who participates in the CGI U process exemplifies Northwestern University's values and demonstrates how discovery and purposeful engagement prepares this generation for the collaboration required to address our global challenges," said Demetria Giannisis, ISEN's Director of Operations and Outreach.
CGI U's rigorous selection process for student candidates has one goal in mind - to propel students with compelling commitments to begin the launch of their project at a three-day global leadership event. The CGI U event rotates among member institutions and will be held at the University of Miami on March 6 - 8, 2015.
Students who have attended past conferences rank the event as one of their most memorable experiential learning opportunities, empowered by more than 1,100 students. Participants meet with future mentors, investors and professionals in related fields who become influential in launching their commitments.
"The event allows you to tap into a network of your future collaborators," said Kristen Scotti, a Northwestern student whose team was among the top 50 teams selected to present at last year's CGI U event. Scotti's team made a commitment to create a high-efficiency, cost-effective solar cell that could provide rural communities and developing countries with an economically feasible alternative power source.
Past speakers at the event have ranged from global policy makers, social enterprise leaders, scholars, and commentators such as Madeleine Albright, Jack Dorsey, Jimmy Wales, Muhammad Yunus, Hawa Abdi Diblaawe, and Northwestern University graduate, Stephen Colbert. The speakers chosen exemplify the broad reach of a lifelong commitment to action.
"I think each university can benefit from sending students to the event. It's about getting out in to the real world and testing the things you’ve learned, your research skills, your analytical skills, and then your ability to present a road map for solving and measuring your outcomes," said Ronald Gibbs, an adjunct professor at the University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy, which sent three teams to the leadership event last year.
Students with and without previous research experience are encouraged to apply, and this opportunity encourages students currently engaged in research at the university to apply it in a community they care about.
"It's about creating an outlet for the student research at Northwestern," said Kristen Brown, a student leader in the Northwestern Energy and Sustainability Consortium.
As the provider of organizational support for CGI U students interested in applying to the conference, ISEN hopes that Northwestern's involvement in CGI U will foster a spirit of teamwork and collaboration across different departments on campus.
ISEN will host CGI U workshops for interested students to prepare for the October 17th submission deadline.
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ISEN's mission to advance global energy and sustainability solutions through transformational research, experiential student education and public engagement includes the development of strategic partnerships across the academic community and with global partners such as CGI U. For more information on ISEN visit www.isen.northwestern.edu.
