Vancouver: Dr Narayana Jayarama, of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai, will represent India and be one of the keynote speakers at the G8 University Summit here next month. At the University Summit, presidents of 50 universities from 14 countries will prepare advice on development issues for world leaders meeting at G8 and G20 summits in Canada from June 25-27.

"The overarching theme for this year's conference sessions is Universities and Communities: Transition to a Sustainable Future. Deliberations from these sessions will result in a Statement of Action presented by the university presidents to their national governments,'' said a statement by the University of British Columbia (UBC) here which is jointly holding the summit with the University of Alberta in Edmonton.

The statement said the presidents of research universities from the G8 and G20 countries will discuss their role in the development of knowledge to usher in global social change.

"Our G8 University Summit offers a chance to show that universities can be effective agents for change and that we have solutions to help communities all over the world take action to ensure a sustainable future,'' said UBC president Stephen Toope.

The educationists will focus on sustainable health, energy and higher education and sign a Statement of Action which will be presented to their own governments as well as universities around the globe to work for a sustainable future, the statement said.

Apart from Dr Narayana Jayarama, other keynote speakers will be Dr Lesley Wilson from the European Universities Association, Dr Jorge Balan of the Centre for the Study of State and Society in Argentina, Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute in Colorado, Dr Solomon Benatar of the Bioethics Centre in Cape Town and Dr Julio Montaner of the BC Centre of Excellence for HIV/AIDS in Vancouver.

Dr Indira Samarasekera, president of the University of Alberta, will deliver the closing address. It will be the third University Summit just before the G8 summits. IANS