6th Global Education Summit at Chandigarh University
The Global Education Summit (GES) 2026, the sixth edition of the event, was convened at Chandigarh University in Punjab, India, from 5 October to 9 October 2026. The five‑day programme assembled more than 90 renowned academic leaders representing 69 leading universities across 30 nations, encompassing both developed and developing economies.
The summit was organised under the theme “Collaborations in AI‑based Research and Innovations for Creating a Sustainable Global Village.” The agenda centred on four key discussion strands: ethical use of artificial intelligence for sustainable societies; restructuring higher education to nurture socially‑sensitive professional leaders; healthy deployment of AI‑oriented technologies to advance the Sustainable Development Goals; and development of AI‑based pedagogies for equitable and inclusive education.
The inaugural ceremony was attended by a roster of diplomatic dignitaries. Romania’s Ambassador to India, Sena Latif, served as Chief Guest, while Alba Smeriglio, Deputy High Commissioner of the United Kingdom, was the Guest of Honour. Additional guests of honour included ambassadors from Nicaragua, Bolivia, Jamaica, Guyana, Timor‑Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, Panama and Chile. Their remarks highlighted AI’s role in bridging geographic distance, fostering collaborative research, and addressing global challenges such as climate change, water and energy management, agriculture and healthcare. Ambassador Latif noted India’s decision to double ITEC scholarships for Romanian students with a focus on AI training, underscoring India’s leadership in the field.
A delegation from Eastern Mennonite University (EMU), USA, comprising 11 students and two faculty members, visited Chandigarh University on 6 October and 7 October, providing bilateral interaction opportunities and exposure to international learning environments.
The summit featured panel discussions, academic and research meetings, institutional interactions, online sessions with international speakers, and cultural immersion activities, offering multiple avenues for participants to explore future collaborations.
Institutional Impact – Senior Managing Director Deep Inder Singh Sandhu emphasized that the summit serves as a platform to facilitate academic collaboration, knowledge exchange, technology transfer, academic mobility and joint research, positioning India as a bridge between the developing and developed worlds. He cited that Chandigarh University now boasts over 540 international academic collaborations with top global universities and institutions across more than 100 countries on six continents, making it the first Indian university to achieve such a scale of international engagement. The university’s strategy aligns with the National Education Policy 2020, which stresses internationalisation and foreign collaborations.
University Profile – Chandigarh University is an autonomous, NAAC‑A+ graded institution, recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and ranked by QS World Rankings. It offers more than 109 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes spanning engineering, management, pharmacy, law, architecture, journalism, animation, hotel management, commerce and other disciplines. The university has been awarded “The University with Best Placements” by the World Corporate Roundtable (WCRC).
Overall Significance – The summit underscores a concerted effort to embed AI research within higher‑education ecosystems, promote responsible and inclusive AI deployment, and deepen India’s role in global academic networks, consistent with broader policy objectives of the NEP‑2020 and India’s international education outreach.