The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will organize a large public workshop bringing together a group of higher education stakeholders to discuss potential mechanisms to advance the role of the higher education sector in in exploring paths towards achieving sustainability and resilience goals. The workshop will address areas such as:

• Decarbonization and adaptation pathways for higher education institutions;
• Creation of innovation hubs for the development and deployment of decarbonization and adaptation technologies and strategies that can be applied more broadly;
• Research and extension that catalyzes and advances science-based decarbonization and adaptation by states, municipalities, Indigenous communities, and social sectors broadly; and
• Education and workforce development that prepares students to work within and lead sustainability and resilience businesses and organizations, to facilitate science-based decarbonization and adaptation, and to build and maintain sustainable and resilient infrastructure.

Aims of the workshop will include 1) providing a venue for attendees to share with each other about the latest information in this area, 2) inviting input on mechanisms for organizing and advancing all higher education institutions’ paths to sustainability and resilience, 3) sharing visions of collaborative work and measures for success, 4) describing potential structural frameworks for implementing collaborative work, and 5) cultivating potential partners. A proceedings in brief summarizing the workshop discussions will be published.

After the workshop, National Academies staff will convene a small planning meeting to discuss next steps for establishing possible mechanisms for further engagement on these topics.