A Look Back At The 2025 UPGN Conference at NC State

The University Global Partnership Network (UGPN) is a global platform for academics and students from world-leading universities to work together to address sustainability challenges across diverse global regions and communities. Members include North Carolina State University (NC State), Universidade de São Paulo (USP) and the University of Surrey (UoS). The annual UGPN conference provides unique opportunities to develop collaborations in education and research among colleagues from NC State, USP and UoS, and this year’s conference was hosted on NC State’s campus from March 23 through March 26. 

The 2025 conference theme was Global Collaborations in One Health, with two subthemes. The first subtheme, Food and Water Solutions, worked to address food and water challenges across the human, plant, and animal dimensions and was convened by Dr. Siddhartha Thakur, Executive Director, State Global One Health Academy. The second subtheme, Climate Change and Healthy Communities, centered on protecting the health of human populations, animals, and the environment from the effects of climate change and avoiding widening health inequities among aging adults and other vulnerable populations and was convened by Dr. Kathie Dello, Director, State Climate Office of North Carolina and Dr. Erin Seekamp, Executive Director, NC State Climate and Sustainability Academy. 

During the conference, attendees participated in thematic breakout discussions, toured NC State’s campus, and learned more about opportunities such as UGPN Research Collaboration Funds (RCF). In one breakout session, participants discussed research opportunities relating to the Food and Water Solutions conference subtheme. One key research question involved “exploring the health impacts of cooking alternative proteins based on different cooking methods and cultural culinary practices.” 

The conference also featured a keynote address “Wicked Problems, Collaborative Solutions”

presented by Dr. Rob Dunn, Senior Vice Provost for University Interdisciplinary Programs. The address was an inspirational talk about how universities play a critical role in tackling the wicked problems facing our world—both in terms of the research we do and the students we educate. 

“The UGPN conference exemplifies the power of international academic collaboration in addressing our world’s most pressing challenges,” said Dr. Leah Peck, Director of Faculty Global Engagement at NC State University. “By bringing together diverse expertise from NC State, USP, and Surrey, we’re creating innovative pathways to tackle complex ‘One Health’ issues that transcend geographical boundaries. These partnerships drive forward cutting-edge research that develops sustainable solutions for the benefit of communities worldwide.”

The call for the 2025 UGPN Research Collaboration Fund (RCF) seed grant proposals is now open. Surrey. The RCF provides seed-funding to foster innovative, high-quality and transdisciplinary research collaborations among the UGPN partner institutions. The focus of this year’s call corresponds with the conference themes, Food and Water Solutions and Climate Change and Healthy Communities. Please visit the UGPN RCF webpage for more details.