Webinar: Building a 4GU from the ground up by Elsevier

Host Login

Building a 4GU from the ground up

About

What if a university didn't have to unlearn a century of habits to become an innovation ecosystem orchestrator — because it built that way from day one? This webinar looks at institutions doing exactly that: embedding 4GU thinking into their DNA before they've earned the traditional markers of a university at all — PhD programmes, publication records, decades of accreditation.

With perspectives from new institutions being built with ecosystem orchestration as a founding principle to a university young enough to have started as a 4GU, we'll discuss discuss what it takes to embed 4GU values at conception: how to build industry and regional partnerships without an established research base to lean on, what "impact" means before you have a tenure track to prove it, and whether starting from scratch is an advantage or just a different set of constraints.

When

Tuesday, October 6, 2026 · 3:00 p.m. Amsterdam (GMT +2:00)

Presenters

Shruti Desai

Senior Manager, 4GU Community Engagement

Shruti joined Elsevier in 2013, as part of the start-up Mendeley where she worked as Community Manager and Storyteller. Her past roles include Global Partnerships Manager at Elsevier, Science & Society Programme Manager at Max Planck Institute for Cell Biology and Genetics in Germany, and roles in newspaper journalism in the US. She brings this experience to her current role helping university leaders connect and create a community of practice through the 4th Generation University Community engagement program. Most recently, Shruti has been working in Elsevier’s Research Marketing team as Global Partnerships Manager, serving as the conduit between university rankings organizations and Elsevier. She brings this experience to her current role helping university leaders connect and create a community of practice through the 4th Generation University Community engagement program.

Prof. Wei Zhao

Provost and Chair Professor

Professor Wei Zhao currently serves as Provost and Chair Professor at the Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology, while also holding the position of Senior Academic Advisor at Elsevier. His academic journey began with an undergraduate degree in Physics from Shaanxi Normal University. He further pursued advanced studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he earned his Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Computer and Information Sciences.

Professor Zhao has held a series of prominent leadership roles in academia. These include serving as the 8th Rector (equivalent to President) of the University of Macau, Dean of Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Director of the Division of Computer and Network Systems at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), Chief Research Officer (equivalent to Vice President for Research) at the American University of Sharjah, and Senior Associate Vice President for Research at Texas A&M University.

His contributions are notable: he pioneered cyber-physical systems research agenda and funding at NSF; under his leadership, the University of Macau’s ranking jumped from 2000+ to 200-300. He holds 12 honorary doctorates and is an elected International Eurasian Academy of Sciences academician.

Prof. Dr. Stefanie Lindstaedt

Founding President, IT:U Interdisciplinary Transformation University Austria

Prof. Michele Barbour

Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor: Enterprise and Innovation, University of Bristol

Reserve Your Spot

First Name*

Last Name*

Email Address*

Institution*

Job Title*

Country*