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Office of Global Engagement

University Global Partnership Network (UGPN) 2025 Conference

Sunday, March 23 - Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Hosted by NC State in Raleigh, North Carolina

Springtime blooms on a tree by the Talley Student Union on main campus. Photo by Marc Hall

Overview

The annual UGPN conference provides unique opportunities to develop collaborations in education and research among colleagues from NC State, the University of São Paulo and the University of Surrey. The 2025 conference theme is Global Collaborations in One Health and sub-themes will guide our schedule of collaborative workshops, networking discussions and featured research opportunities:

Food and water solutions: Addressing food and water challenges across the human, plant, and animal dimensions. Includes the nexus of food security, water scarcity, infectious diseases, and the environment, as well as related social structures, policies, and supply chains that impact global and local communities.
NC State Convener:
Siddhartha (Sid) Thakur, Executive Director, NC State Global One Health Academy and Professor of Molecular Epidemiology.

Climate change and healthy communities: 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. Includes the challenges of climate resilient built and natural environments; sustainable cities, communities and campuses; agricultural production; and nature-based health solutions.
NC State Conveners:
Kathie Dello, Director, State Climate Office of North Carolina; Co-Director, NOAA’s Carolinas Climate Adaptation Partnerships; State Climatologist of North Carolina.
Erin Seekamp, Executive Director, NC State Climate and Sustainability Academy and Goodnight Distinguished Professor of Coastal Resilience and Sustainability

Conference Registration

Please use the following link to register for the UGPN 2025 conference:

Conference Registration

Hotel and Travel Information

  • Last Day to Book Group Hotel Rate: Wednesday, February 5, 2025
  • Conference Accommodation: Marriott Residence Inn Raleigh Downtown, 616 Salisbury St., Raleigh, NC, 27601
  • UGPN Conference Rate: $189.00 USD/night + tax, standard room with breakfast included.
  • Group Rate Start Date: Saturday, March 22nd
  • Group Rate End Date: Friday, March 28th
UGPN Hotel Reservation

Schedule at a Glance

Raleigh is in the Eastern Standard Time Zone (EST)

TimeEventLocation
5:00 PMWelcome ReceptionMarriott Residence Inn Hotel
TimeEventLocation
8:30 AMRegistrationTalley Student Union Ballroom
9:00 AMWelcome
Dr. Warwick Arden, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, NC State

UGPN Updates
Dr. Amelia Hadfield, Associate Vice President for External Engagement, University of Surrey		Talley Student Union Ballroom
10:00 AMInterdisciplinary Approaches to One Health: The NC State Academies
Climate & Sustainability (Dr. Erin Seekamp)
Data Science & AI (Dr. Rachel Levy)
Genetics & Genomics (Dr. Jeffrey Yoder)
Global One Health (Dr. Sid Thakur)		Talley Student Union Ballroom
11:00 AMCoffee Break and NetworkingTalley Student Union Ballroom
11:30 AMInterdisciplinary Breakout Sessions
Led by Academy leaders		Talley Student Union
12:30 PMNetworking LunchTalley Student Union Ballroom
1:30 PMUGPN Research Collaboration Funds: Proposal Process and Project UpdatesTalley Student Union Ballroom
2:30 PMCoffee Break and NetworkingTalley Student Union Ballroom
3:00 PMRCF Ideation WorkshopTalley Student Union Ballroom
4:00 PMWork Break, Time for Individual MeetingsTalley Student Union
5:30 PMTransport to Dinner VenueTalley Student Union
6:00 PMChancellor’s Reception and DinnerPark Alumni Center
TimeEventLocation
8:30 AMTransport to Centennial CampusMarriott Residence Inn Hotel
9:00 AMKeynote Address
Dr. Rob Dunn, Senior Vice Provost for University Interdisciplinary Programs and William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor of Applied Ecology, NC State

Interdisciplinary Research Initiatives
Sustainable Proteins (Dr. Rohan Shirwaiker)
Plant Sciences (Dr. Adrian Percy)		Wilson College of Textiles Convocation Center
9:30 AMRCF Proposal WorkshopWilson College of Textiles Convocation Center
10:30 AMCoffee BreakWilson College of Textiles Convocation Center
11:00 AMConcurrent Sessions
UGPN Academy & Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL)
Additional sessions coming soon		Wilson College of Textiles Convocation Center
12:15 PMLunchWilson College of Textiles Convocation Center
2:00 PMBreakout Visits Across Campus
1. College of Engineering: Institute for Connected Sensor Systems (IConS). Hosted by Dr. Alper Bozkurt + Biomanufacturing and Training Center (BTEC). Hosted by Dr. Jennifer Pancorbo
2. TBD
3. TBD
4:00 PMWork Break, Time for Individual MeetingsJames B. Hunt Library
5:30 PMTransport to DinnerWilson College of Textiles Convocation Center
6:00 PMNorth Carolina BBQJC Raulston Arboretum Ruby McSwain Education Center
TimeEventLocation
8:30 AMTransport to Hunt LibraryMarriott Residence Inn Hotel
9:00 AMResearch Collaboration Working SessionsDuke Energy Hall, James B. Hunt Library
10:00 AMReports from Workshop ConvenersDuke Energy Hall, James B. Hunt Library
11:00 AMDiscussion on Research and Innovation
Dr. Genevieve Garland, Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Research 
Development and Operations and Chief of Staff, NC State Office of Research and Innovation		Duke Energy Hall, James B. Hunt Library
11:30 AMLooking AheadDuke Energy Hall, James B. Hunt Library
12:30 PMLunch and End of ConferenceDuke Energy Hall, James B. Hunt Library
Optional Afternoon ProgramDetails coming soon

NC State Conference Collaborators

An array of NC State colleges, academies and research institutes will offer programming to UGPN conference participants. NC State units engaged include:

  • Climate and Sustainability Academy
  • Data Science and AI Academy
  • Genetics and Genomics Academy
  • Global One Health Academy
  • Plant Sciences Initiative
  • Office of Global Engagement