Plenary Session II: Between tradition and innovation Speakers Chair/ Moderator: Roberto Escalante Semerena, Secretary-General, Association of Universities of Latin America & the Caribbean (UDUAL), Mexico - IAU Deputy Board Member Philip Landon, Vice-President, Governance and Programs, Universities Canada Rosa G. Montes Miró, Director of International Education Centre, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP), Mexico Manikrao M. Salunkhe, President, Association of Indian Universities (AIU), India Description Transformation of higher education and society are not new but rather a continuous process. Yet, the pace at which change is taking place is increasing, leaving less time for reflection and to understand the impact of these changes. Universities are experiencing increased pressure to transform and to respond to societal challenges, to prepare students for future societies. With this in mind, the speakers in this plenary session will discuss which essential pillars and traditions of higher education must be preserved in the process and where must higher education innovate to remain relevant in the future. The speakers will address the spectrum between tradition and innovation through three different lenses.