Polytechnic Summit

Since 2009, the Polytechnic Summit has been an annual gathering of the most inspired and provocative thinkers from the faculty, staff, and leadership at polytechnic and applied science universities across the world. 

Each year the Polytechnic Summit assembles leaders, influencers and contributors who shape the future of polytechnic education. The Polytechnic Summit provides a forum to enable opportunities for collaboration and partnerships and for participants to focus on innovation in curriculum and pedagogy, to share best practices in active and applied learning, and discuss practice-based research to enhance student learning.

For 2024, the Global Polytechnic Education Alliance (GPEA) was excited to announce a unique collaboration with Polytechnics Canada. The Summit was embedded as part of the annual Polytechnics Canada Showcase. The showcase theme was ‘Ready for the Challenge’ and took place May 14-16, 2024, at Algonquin College in Ottawa, Canada

Leveraging a new partnership with Polytechnics Canada, the showcase provided an opportunity to learn about each of their 13 organizations, as well as the GPEA member organizations and efforts to scale up the impact of our polytechnic work. From improving healthcare to confronting climate change, polytechnics addressed some of today’s most intractable challenges. Academic institutions were uniquely positioned to respond to the fast pace of change, with a front-row seat to the industry’s most pressing talent and productivity challenges. Polytechnics delivered pragmatic, scalable solutions to drive innovation and support the wellbeing of the communities they served

Sessions included a focus on healthcare, climate change, cybersecurity/digital skills, business innovation, and workforce development. Facilitated dialogue sessions each day, hosted by GPEA, allowed participants to share best practices and challenges regarding scaling our polytechnic work. Polytechnic administrators and unit leads (i.e., department heads, academic program directors, etc.) were encouraged to attend

Regular Themes:

  • Design (Programmes, Curriculum, Organization)
  • Practice-Based Learning
  • Applied Research
  • Employability and Graduate Skills
  • Internationalization, Global Teaching & Collaboration
  • Sustainability Theme 

Polytechnic Annual Gatherings: