UNC Asheville Joins Elite Global Innovation Program Spearheaded by Duke University

The University of North Carolina Asheville has been selected to join the inaugural Innovation Sandbox cohort of the Future Universities Alliance, a global initiative incubated at Duke University that connects higher education institutions pursuing transformative change and innovation.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – June 10, 2026 – The University of North Carolina Asheville has been selected to join the inaugural Innovation Sandbox cohort of the Future Universities Alliance, a global initiative incubated at Duke University that connects higher education institutions pursuing transformative change and innovation.

UNC Asheville is one of 49 institutions from 23 countries selected to participate and is the only institution in the University of North Carolina System chosen for the inaugural cohort.

“UNC Asheville’s participation in the Future Universities Alliance’s inaugural Innovation Sandbox reflects our commitment to student-centered innovation and our vision for a future-focused public liberal arts and sciences university,” said Provost Yvonne Villanueva-Russell. “We look forward to joining a global cohort of institutions working through difficult questions in very different contexts, and we believe sustained peer exchange will strengthen our ability to turn promising ideas into durable institutional change.”

The Innovation Sandbox is a 12-month peer learning network designed to help institutions tackle complex challenges through collaboration, shared learning, and strategic innovation. Participants include startup universities, emerging institutions, and established universities working to rethink curriculum, pedagogy, credentials, student success, and institutional design.

UNC Asheville will participate in Pathway 2: New Initiatives in Existing Institutions, which brings together established universities pursuing major, institution-shaping change. The University’s participation aligns closely with Asheville 2030, the University’s strategic vision to strengthen enrollment, enhance student success, expand experiential learning opportunities, and build the innovative public liberal arts and sciences university of the future.

By 2030, UNC Asheville aims to achieve sustainable enrollment of 3,200 to 3,500 students while advancing its vision of a student-centered institution known for hands-on learning, technology-driven solutions, and career-ready outcomes.

The Sandbox program runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. Participants will engage in monthly facilitated peer-learning sessions, milestone meetings with executive sponsors, and a global summit hosted in Durham, North Carolina, in October 2026.

More information and a full list of participating institutions are available at futureuniversities.org.

About UNC Asheville

Founded in 1927, UNC Asheville is a proud member of the University of North Carolina System. With award-winning faculty, small class sizes, and 90+ academic programs in the natural sciences, human sciences, humanities, arts, and social sciences, the University is recognized for its robust paid internship programs to prepare students to immediately enter the workforce. In the US News & World Report 2025 edition of Best Colleges, UNC Asheville is ranked No. #9 in Top Public Schools, and No. #7 in Princeton Review’s 2025 Top 50 Guide to Green Colleges. Known as the Bulldogs, UNC Asheville student-athletes compete in 16 NCAA Division I Teams in the Big South Conference. For more information, please visit: www.unca.edu.

About Global Engagement at Duke University

Duke works with people, communities and institutions across the globe to provide a world-class education, conduct critical research, and address the most pressing global challenges. Through its global initiative, Duke provides leadership and strategic direction for international activities and partnerships and helps faculty, staff and students navigate global services and support. Duke maintains a global presence through Duke Kunshan University in China, Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore, and partnerships spanning more than three dozen countries.