The Concordia Americas Summit—a two-day international forum that convenes a cross section of decision-makers, thought leaders, and influencers wanting to foster dialogue and forge partnerships around critical issues facing the Western Hemisphere—will return to the University of Miami from April 22–23 at the Lakeside Village Auditorium.
Now in its eighth year, the gathering also provides a hub for dialogue, collaboration, networking, and innovative thinking on issues affecting Latin America, the Caribbean, the United States, and Canada. This is the third year that the summit has been held at the University. Through the generosity of trustee emeritus Jose Bared and the Bared Family Foundation, the University became a principal programming partner for the 2023 Concordia Americas Summit and expects to host the annual Americas Summit through 2025.
Prominent discussions to be held during the 2024 summit will focus on issues of sustainable and inclusive growth as well as strengthening democracy and the economy. University faculty members and administrators will take part in the summit.
- University of Miami President Julio Frenk, who served as Federal Secretary of Health of Mexico from 2000-2006, will offer a brief opening keynote highlighting the importance of partnership between the public, private, and higher education sectors on April 22, participate on the panel “The Rule of Law, Security, and Human Rights in Latin America,” and offer closing remarks on April 23.
- Felicia Knaul, director of the Institute for Advanced Study of the Americas, will join the discussion “Transformative Alliances: Social Contracts, Governance, and The Role of Collaboration in Latin America’s Progress.”
- Bared, chair of the Bared Family Foundation, will be among the speakers in a panel on “The Role of Migration in Building Inclusive and Prosperous Societies.”
“As a premier gathering for thought leaders on crucial challenges and opportunities facing the Western Hemisphere, I am pleased to welcome the Concordia Americas Summit back to Miami and our University,” said Frenk. “The summit provides a unique opportunity to foster necessary conversations, collaboration, and partnerships among the private, public, and nonprofit sectors related to a variety of topics, including the state of our democracies, environmental sustainability, health care challenges, and emerging technologies.”
In addition to the main stage conversations, faculty and campus leaders from a cross-section of disciplines, including the Climate Resilience Academy, Institute for Advanced Study of the Americas, Hanley Democracy Center, School of Architecture, College of Arts and Sciences, Patti and Allan Herbert Business School, College of Engineering, School of Law, and the Miller School of Medicine, will join roundtable discussions on topics ranging from health equity to leadership to tech for good.
Additional confirmed speakers include: Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava; General Laura Richardson, combatant commander, U.S. Southern Command; U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio; U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz; Iván Duque, former president, Republic of Colombia; Melissa Medina, CEO of eMerge Americas; Johana Bahamón, CEO, Fundación Acción Interna; Dana Barsky, global head of sustainability strategy and net zero, Standard Chartered Bank; and, Andrés Cadena, senior partner, McKinsey & Company, among others.
“The Americas Summit provides a forum for the University and the South Florida community to deepen their ties to the region,” noted Bared. “These conversations are a means to an end—a strategic investment in our future and the role of the University in devising solutions to pressing regional and global challenges.”
The conference also offers a host of networking opportunities through one-on-one or group meetings, roundtables, and receptions. Select University students have been invited to participate in guest lectures and meetings during the summit, including a networking lunch with Concordia Leadership Council members, as well as a gathering of University Fulbright Scholars and Alumni with former U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd and the Global Solutions Institute.
Visit 2024 Concordia Americas Summit for more information.
