WGES Global™ Announces: UNIWA Hosts Executive Leadership Forum for Upcoming WGES Global™ October Symposium Athens UNIWA Will Serve As Academic Coordinator for WGES Global™ Symposium Athens 2026; Hosts Executive Roundtable in Preparation of Academic Framework, June 3, 2026
WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, June 1, 2026 — WGES Global™, Inc., the international nonprofit organization founded in the United States in 2009 and organizer of the WGES Global™ International Symposium series, is proud to welcome the University of West Attica (UNIWA) of Athens, Greece, as the Academic Coordinator for the WGES Global™ 2026 International Symposium scheduled for October 6–8, 2026, in Athens, Greece. As part of the preparations for the upcoming international symposium, UNIWA will host an Executive Academic Leadership Forum on June 3, 2026, to commence development of the academic framework and scientific coordination process supporting the Athens program.
UNIWA joins a distinguished roster of academic institutions that have served as academic partners and hosts throughout the history of the WGES Global™ symposium series. Academic partners have included the University of Pennsylvania, the Wharton School of Business, Temple University, the University of the District of Columbia, the College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences (CAUSES), Drexel University, Hunter College of the City University of New York, and other respected institutions. UNIWA’s appointment as Academic Coordinator extends that tradition to an international stage.
The University of West Attica’s mandate is focused on the academic sessions and scientific coordination framework for the preparatory process, as well as support in outreach to its students, partners, colleagues, and alumnae. International coordination, strategic direction, sponsorship development, program integration, and overall symposium leadership remain under the mandate of WGES Global™, Inc., the WGES Global™ Board of Directors, and Board of Advisors, consistent with the organization’s established role as founder and organizer of the WGES Global™ International Symposium series. Founded in the United States in 2009, WGES Global™, Inc. has convened international symposiums and executive forums that bring together leaders from government, academia, industry, finance, public health, science, and emerging technologies to advance dialogue on sustainability, innovation, economic development, and global collaboration. The Athens program represents the organization’s continued international expansion and its first major symposium initiative in Greece.
The University of West Attica will formally prepare the academic preparatory framework for WGES Global™ Athens 2026, initiated through the Executive Academic Leadership Forum taking place on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in Athens, Greece. Hosted under the auspices of the Sustainable Development Committee of the University of West Attica, the forum will bring together academic leadership, sustainability experts, strategic advisors, researchers, and public and private sector stakeholders from Greece to advance interdisciplinary cooperation and practical dialogue across four academic focus areas: Sustainable Development, Clean Energy, Green Economy, and Public Health.
WGES Global™, members of its leadership team, leading experts, and collaborators will participate virtually in the June session. The WGES Global™ International Symposium 2026 in Athens, Greece to be held October 6-8. will encompass five strategic pillars, expanding the academic framework to also include Blue Economy & Water Sustainability and Innovation, Investment & Global Partnerships, reflecting the full scope of the international program and its relevance to government, industry, academic, and investment communities worldwide. The WGES Global NOVA Awards Gala will be held evening of October 7th. HISTORICAL MILESTONES
Since its founding in 2009, WGES Global™, Inc. has built a record of convening senior leaders across government, academia, and industry at major venues throughout the United States. Programs have been hosted at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, the Washington Convention Center, and throughout New York State and New York City, engaging governors, mayors, senior public policy leaders, scientists, entrepreneurs, and global companies in sustained dialogue on sustainability, emerging technologies, public health, and economic development. These programs have reflected the importance of cross-sector collaboration in addressing complex global challenges, bringing together participants from across the United States and international communities.
Universities have been integral to every WGES Global™ program, contributing expertise in engineering, environmental science, public policy, biotechnology, healthcare, and economic development. The academic collaboration model developed through these programs, now being extended internationally through UNIWA, has been a defining feature of the WGES Global™ platform since its earliest symposiums. The WGES Global™ Athens 2026 International Symposium reflects both Greece’s strategic position and the growing global momentum around sustainability, innovation, and economic transformation. Greece sits at the crossroads of Europe, the Mediterranean region, and global trade routes, making Athens an ideal meeting point for international dialogue among government, industry, academia, investment communities, and nonprofit organizations.
The Athens program will bring together participants from the United States, Greece, Europe, and other international regions, creating a platform for the exchange of ideas, research, innovation, and partnership opportunities with direct relevance to transatlantic and international economic development. SYMPOSIUM LEADERSHIP
Professor Robert J. Gallagher, Founder and President of WGES Global™, Inc., serving as Executive Chairman, will direct the overarching symposium framework, international coordination, and strategic partnerships that have defined the WGES Global™ mission for more than seventeen years. Support is provided by the WGES Global™ Board of Directors, Board of Advisors, USA Organizing Team, Greece Organizing Team, event deployment specialists, media relations professionals, strategic communications advisors, and participating partners.
International participation is expected from contributors and collaborators representing expertise in sustainable infrastructure, public health systems, energy innovation, circular economy strategy, urban resilience, biotechnology, interdisciplinary research, investment, and policy collaboration. “The academic institutions that have partnered with WGES Global™ over the years have been essential to the credibility and depth of our programs. From our very first symposium, we recognized that academia is the bridge between research and policy, scientific discovery and commercial application, and today’s challenges and the workforce that will solve them.”
— Professor Robert J. Gallagher, Founder and President, WGES Global™, Inc. “The Athens platform expands our mission internationally, with a clear focus on sustainability, innovation, economic development, and a healthier planet for future generations. We are grateful to UNIWA, the Greek Organizing Team, the U.S. leadership team, the WGES Global™ Board of Directors, Board of Advisors, media partners, and the many experts and collaborators who continue to support this mission.” Daisy Gallagher, AMSc, CPM, CCHT, Chief Executive Organizing Team Lead – U.S. & Greece, WGES Global™, Inc.
Organizations, institutions, and industry leaders interested in participating in or supporting the WGES Global™ Athens 2026 International Symposium October 6-8, 2026 are encouraged to visit www.wgesglobal.com or email professor@wgesglobal.com for additional information. About WGES Global™, Inc.
WGES Global™, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit NGO founded in the United States in 2009 that convenes leaders from government, academia, industry, finance, and emerging technologies to advance international dialogue on sustainability, innovation, public health, and economic development. Through international symposiums, executive dialogues, and academic collaboration, WGES Global™ serves as an independent platform for advancing partnerships and solutions to global challenges.
