A private summit for leaders shaping higher education’s next decade
Ken42 Annual Higher Education Summit 2026
By Invitation Only · Udaipur, India · August 2026
- August 12–14, 2026 — Wednesday to Friday
- Limited group — By invitation only
- Udaipur, India — Private destination
Venue: Fairmont Udaipur Palace, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India.
Behind 42 Degrees.
Perspectives across education, technology, capital, and culture.
42 Degrees will bring together vice chancellors, institution builders, operators, investors, and technology and skilling leaders who can add perspective to the future of Indian higher education.
Confirmed voices
- Dr. Palanivel Thiaga Rajan — Former Minister of Finance, Tamil Nadu
- Harinarayan Sharma — CEO, Manipal Foundation
- Prof. S. Sadagopan — Director (President), IIIT-Bangalore
- Prof. (Dr.) N. N. Sharma — President, Manipal University Jaipur
- Luis Miranda — Co-Founder, Indian School of Public Policy
- Rajiv Tandon — CEO, BITS Pilani Digital & Industry Research Partnerships
- Ambrish Sinha — CEO, UNext Learning
- Dr. Ashwin Fernandes — Chair, QS India & VP, Strategic and International Engagement
- Syed Sultan Ahmed — Founder & CEO, LXL Ideas
- Krutarth Shah — Member, Governing Body & Board of Management, FLAME University
- Dr. Palak Sheth — Project Director, Jio Institute
- Tejas Patani — Member, Board of Management & Academic Council, FLAME University
- P. Sriram — Chairman, Chennai Institute of Technology
- Dr. Anand Jacob Verghese — Chairman, Hindustan Group of Institutions & Chancellor, HITS
- Dr. Abhilasha Gaur — CEO, IT-ITeS Sector Skill Council, nasscom
- Dr. Amruth Reddy — Member, Governing Body & Director of Operations, Navodaya Education Trust
- Prof. (Dr.) Suman Bhattacharya — Director, KIIT Kareer School & Next-Gen Learning
- Prof. (Dr.) Alka Munjal — Head, IQAC & Dean, Academic Affairs, Bennett University
- Dr. Anurag Batra — Chairman, BW Businessworld
Six pillars for the decade ahead.
A focused agenda for the pressures, possibilities, and decisions that will define how institutions lead, grow, and endure.
- Building Institutions that Endure: How universities remain relevant across generations, leadership transitions, and waves of disruption.
- Future of Learning: Redesigning curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and experience for a new generation of learners.
- Driving Research & Innovation: Turning discovery into intellectual property, startups, industry collaboration, and economic impact.
- Capital, Systems & Sustainable Growth: Scaling institutions through capital, expansion, governance, digital systems, and operating discipline.
- Industry, Talent and the Future of Work: Rethinking how all talent is developed, applied and valued in a changing world of work.
- The Lifelong University: Building university relationships that continue beyond graduation through alumni, careers, mentorship, giving, and community.
We'd love to have you in the conversation.
Share a few details and the Ken42 team will be in touch about the first edition.
Request an invitation