Institute for Emerging Issues
The Institute for Emerging Issues is a non-partisan public policy organization that exists to enhance North Carolina's long-term prosperity.
History
The institute's roots reach back to 1986, when Governor James B. Hunt, Jr., and NC State Chancellor Bruce Poulton convened the first Emerging Issues Forum. The Forum is an annual, two-day gathering of international, national and statewide thought leaders and stakeholders who discuss challenges and opportunities for North Carolina. A defining feature of the Forum is participants' collaborative effort to build consensus around specific recommendations for further collective action.In 2002, North Carolina State University's trustees established the Institute of Emerging Issues to administer the annual Forum and to conduct a related program of work across North Carolina.
Emerging Issues Forum
The annual Emerging Issues Forum is IEI's signature event, drawing more than 1,000 attendees each year. The first annual Emerging Issues Forum took place on January 8, 1986 at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. The theme was "Innovation and Competition: The Challenge to America." Speakers and participants included Chancellor Bruce Poulton, Governor Jim Hunt, NC State Student Body President Jay Everette, John A. Young, and Jim Goodnight, among others.Past speakers include former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, New York Times columnist Tom Friedman, Steve Forbes and others. Recent Forum topics have included "Generation Z," advanced manufacturing and world-class teaching.