Faust Travels to Davos

University President Drew G. Faust traveled to Davos-Klosters, Switzerland to attend two days of the World Economic Forum’s proceedings and meet with Harvard alumni earlier this week, according to a statement by Christine M. Heenan, the University vice president for public affairs and communication.

The World Economic Forum is “an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas,” according to its website. It attempts to achieve these goals by advocating collaboration between the public and private sectors.

The Forum releases a series of annual reports on significant global issues. These publications cover a wide array of topics, such as sustainability, financial systems, education, and health. The 2012 Davos proceedings lasted from Jan. 25 to Jan. 29.

During the conference, Faust shared her views about the overlap of three major fields when speaking at a panel discussion titled, “The Education-Employment-Entrepreneurship Nexus.”

Faust also attended the Global University Leadership Meeting hosted by the World Economic Forum. At this event, which lasted half a day, Faust exchanged thoughts and opinions with other university presidents.

In addition to connecting with leaders from other schools, Faust had one-on-one meetings with members of Harvard’s international community. Alumni from five different continents attended a Harvard reception hosted by Faust.

During her trip, Faust also attended an event hosted by Forbes Magazine and Ernst and Young designed to celebrate women on Forbes’ annual list of “The 100 Most Powerful Women.” In 2011, Faust was named number 83 on this list. The event, hosted by the two organizations, also celebrated nine other women on the Forbes list including Arianna Huffington, Sheryl Sandberg, and Margaret Hamburg.

—Staff writer Alyza J. Sebenius can be reached at asebenius@college.harvard.edu.