HE4G’s international Advisory Board holds its inaugural meeting

On 29–30 September 2026, HE4G brought together its new international Advisory Board in Geneva and Nyon, hosted by Dona Bertarelli Philanthropy, to explore how higher education can prepare people for responsible leadership and human flourishing.

Members of the Advisory Board at the first meeting in Geneva

On 29–30 September 2026, the Higher Education for Good Foundation brought together its newly established international Advisory Board in Geneva and Nyon. Hosted by Dona Bertarelli Philanthropy, this first meeting explored how higher education can better prepare people for responsible leadership, human flourishing and life in harmony with nature.

Created to guide the partnership between HE4G and Dona Bertarelli Philanthropy, the Advisory Board brings together perspectives from higher education, philanthropy, international networks, journalism and the humanities. Its role is to help inform strategic priorities and identify promising initiatives, contributing to the Foundation’s work on Transforming Business Education for Flourishing.

Young people’s voices provided the starting point for the discussions. Through Youth Talks, HE4G’s global consultation, approximately 50,000 young people from 212 countries and territories shared their aspirations and concerns. The findings prompted a rich exchange on the importance of values, respect and human relationships, and on how education can help people think independently, work together across cultures and understand their relationship with the natural world. Participants also explored the role of educators in supporting these capabilities as artificial intelligence reshapes learning.

Several directions emerged for further development:

  • Listening more systematically to educators and supporting their capacity to transform teaching and institutional practices.
  • Bringing together different disciplines, generations and cultures to work on concrete challenges.
  • Developing immersive learning experiences that broaden perspectives and deepen mutual understanding.

Participants emphasised the importance of building on existing initiatives, securing institutional support and assessing the impact of future pilots. HE4G is now developing the ideas discussed into concrete pilot proposals for the Board’s next meeting.

The discussions were moderated by Alice Guilhon and Marine Hadengue. The meeting brought together:

  • Alice Guilhon, Dean and Executive President of SKEMA Business School and Chair of HE4G.
  • Carlos Álvarez Pereira, Secretary General of the Club of Rome.
  • Eric Cornuel, President of EFMD Global.
  • Marine Hadengue, Executive Director of HE4G.
  • Santiago Iñiguez de Onzoño, President of IE University.
  • Andrew Jack, Global Education Editor at the Financial Times.
  • Professor Jiang Bo, expert in international cooperation and former Vice-President of Tongji University.
  • Cécile Jolly, Executive Director of Dona Bertarelli Philanthropy.
  • Thomas Römer, Chairman of the Collège de France.
  • Charles Steinmyller, Director of People, Sports & Education at Dona Bertarelli Philanthropy.
  • Frédérique Vidal, former French Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation and Director of Strategy and Scientific Impact at SKEMA Business School.

HE4G warmly thanks all participants for their insights and commitment, and Cécile Jolly, Charles Steinmyller and the DBP team for their welcome and support.