The book Empires of Ideas looks to the past 200 years and chronicles two revolutions in higher education: the birth of the research university and its integration with the liberal education model. Author Dr. William C. Kirby examines the successes of leading universities to determine how they rose to prominence and what threats they currently face.

Dr. Kirby and David J. Firestein will discuss the origins and status of the modern university, and explore the challenges and opportunities that both U.S. and Chinese universities face in the coming century.