University presidents, provosts, and academic leaders from across the world came together this past week at Arizona State University for the 2026 ASU-Cintana Presidents' Summit. The Summit served as a powerful affirmation of what the ASU-Cintana alliance is building: a global network of institutions equipped to deliver transformative, technology-enabled education to students wherever they are.
Over four days of thought-provoking sessions, campus immersions, and candid partner exchanges, one theme rang clear: the convergence of educational technology, artificial intelligence, and global academic ambition is not a distant horizon — it is happening now, and Cintana's partner institutions are at the forefront of it.
Voices That Shaped the Conversation
The Summit brought together an exceptional lineup of speakers whose insights spanned the full landscape of higher education innovation. Cintana Founder & Chairman Doug Becker opened with a State of the Alliance address, laying out a bold and optimistic vision for Cintana's expanding global footprint. ASU President Michael Crow led a landmark two-hour session on post-secondary education in 2030, challenging attendees to rethink the very architecture of the university and its role in society. Michael Moe of Global Silicon Valley delivered a sweeping analysis of global higher education trends, drawing on decades of market intelligence to chart where the sector is headed.
ASU's Vice President of Global Academic Initiatives, Julia Rosen, shared the latest developments in ASU's international programs, while Cintana Co-CEO Ricardo Berckemeyer and Cintana President Rick Shangraw led sessions focused on maximizing the depth and impact of the ASU-Cintana partnership. Longstanding and greenfield partners alike took the stage to share hard-won lessons and emerging opportunities — a reminder that the most powerful insights in this network come from the institutions themselves.
AI, EdTech, and the New Frontier of Learning
Education technology and artificial intelligence took center stage throughout the Summit. ASU Chief Information Officer Lev Gonick presented a compelling update on ASU's AI ecosystem and the concrete ways partner institutions — Cintana's ACIs — can plug into it. This was followed by a candid conversation how the world's leading AI platforms are reshaping the possibilities of teaching, learning, and research at scale.
Equally inspiring was the deep dive into Dreamscape Learn, ASU's groundbreaking immersive learning platform, and hands-on engagement with the advanced manufacturing capabilities at ASU's Polytechnic Campus. These experiences made viscerally real the technological leap that is available to Cintana partner institutions, not as a future aspiration, but as a present-day resource.
Looking Ahead: A Network Built for What's Next
The 2026 Summit arrived at a pivotal moment for global higher education. Around the world, student expectations are evolving rapidly, labor markets are being reshaped by technology, and the traditional boundaries of the university, geographic, disciplinary, and temporal are being tested. The institutions that will thrive are those that move with purpose, embrace innovation, and remain deeply committed to student success.
The ASU-Cintana alliance is purpose-built for exactly this moment. With a growing portfolio of Affiliated Cintana Institutions spanning six regions, a deepening integration of AI and educational technology across the network, and a shared commitment to academic quality and institutional transformation, the alliance enters the next chapter with real momentum. Updates on initiatives such as ASU London, the expansion of ASU's semiconductor and sustainability programs, and the continued evolution of K-12 pathways through ASU Prep signal a network that is broadening in both depth and scope.
Perhaps most importantly, the Summit reaffirmed that this alliance is not transactional, it is relational. The conversations that took place this past week, between presidents who are grappling with the same challenges and dreaming the same dreams, are the foundation on which the future will be built. When institutions share knowledge openly, challenge each other generously, and commit to a common standard of excellence, the students they serve are the ultimate beneficiaries.
