Written by Emily Groff | February 14, 2019 | SHARE
Lehigh University has partnered with the International Labour Organization to host “An Equitable and Sustainable Future of Work,” a one-day conference on April 11, 2019, where leaders from education, industry, labor and public administration will discuss the diverse challenges that shape the future of work.
The conference will feature a series of panels focusing on “Effective Lifelong Learning Systems,” “Transformative Agenda for Equality,” and “Improving Global Value Chains for Decent Work,” and a keynote addresses from Elliott Harris, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development and Chief Economist in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
A particular focus of the conference will be the power of university partnerships to empower youth and community to contribute to a future of work where individuals and communities thrive. It’s a natural fit for Lehigh, which brings more than 150 years of experience in developing graduates to lead in the workforce and adapting, innovating and leading change, all while fostering close connections with the local community and the world beyond.
The day’s events will take place on Lehigh University’s Mountaintop Campus in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. This site was originally built as the Homer Research Labs of Bethlehem Steel and now houses Lehigh’s College of Education, science and engineering laboratories and other research facilities. The conference will close with a reception at the National Museum of Industrial History, a Smithsonian Institution-affiliated museum housed in another former facility of Bethlehem Steel that seeks to preserve, educate, and display the industrial history of the United States. Both locations highlight the revitalization of Bethlehem, from a city dependent on a single heavy industry, to a dynamic city with a diversified economy that’s part of the fastest-growing region in Pennsylvania.
The conference is a collaboration by the Lehigh University-United Nations Partnership, the Lehigh University College of Business and Economics’ Martindale Center for the Study of Private Enterprise, and the ILO, a United Nations agency that sets international labor standards and promotes social protection and work opportunities for all. It is part of a live 24-hour “Global Tour” of national events in 24 countries to celebrate the ILO’s 100th anniversary.
The conference is free for university faculty, staff and students. The registration fee for attendees not affiliated with a college or university is $25. This includes continental breakfast, lunch, three panels, discussion with students and the closing reception. Visit global.lehigh.edu/futureofwork to learn more about the conference and register, and follow #ILO100Lehigh on Twitter for the latest updates on the day's events.