On October 30th, SAP executives joined senior government officials, international experts, corporate representatives, and Notre Dame faculty to examine how public-private partnerships can play an impactful role in global development challenges at the Global Impact Forum in Washington, D.C. The event was sponsored by the Notre Dame Initiative for Global Development.
SAP Attendees:
- Alex Meyer, Vice President, Global Private Equity & International Funding Institutions
- Bruce Higgins, Senior Vice President and Global Head of the Customer Quality Hub
- John Stephenson, Executive Director US Government Relations
- Don Ginocchio, Director University Alliances – Notre Dame
The Notre Dame Initiative for Global Development (NDIGD) combines the existing teaching and research faculty of the University with a dedicated staff of experienced researchers and administrators, integrated across multiple disciplines. They work to address the challenges of building just and equitable political, legal, economic, health, and civil structures in fragile nations that suffer from extreme poverty or are experiencing insecurity due to armed conflict or war. For additional information about NDIGD, view the NDIGD brochure here.
The University addresses these complex challenges through interdisciplinary research, assessment, monitoring and evaluation, training, and strategic planning to offer a holistic approach to global development through NDIGD, including the following areas of expertise:
- Commerce and Economic Development
- Education
- Energy, Environment, and Sustainability
- Global Health
- Governance and Rule of Law
- Human Development
- Infrastructure
- Security and Peacebuilding
Alex Meyer represented SAP in the morning small group discussions which centered on two themes:
- Shared values in public-private partnerships: What are the goals for corporations, universities, and government agencies involved in the developing world? How do we define success in these relationships? Where do these interests intersect?
- Multifaceted solutions that work for all: How universities can help provide innovative solutions, evaluations, and other contributions to public private partnerships. What has worked and what has not worked? What opportunities are we missing?
The afternoon panel sessions are summarized below.
Leadership training and access to talent: Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders
Marc Hardy, Mendoza College of Business, Notre Dame (moderator)
Britta Bjornlund, U.S. Department of State
Carlos Passi, IBM
Joyce Warner, IREX
Afternoon Session II: Sparking economic growth in new markets: Connectivity, Electricity, and Education for Entrepreneurship (CE3)
Sam Awad, Accenture (moderator) Nate Hurst, HP
Mark Levett, Cummins
Tom Loughran, Dept. of Physics, Notre Dame Initiative for Global Development
Gabrielle Oken, Accenture
Afternoon Session III: Decision-making in the face of global shifts : Climate change and resilience assessment in action
David Leege, Catholic Relief Services (moderator)
Joyce Coffee, Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index
Michael Cote, Engility Corp. Robert Foster, Aspen Institute
