The TIAA-CREF Institute Concludes 2008 Higher Education Leadership Conference

NEW YORK, Nov. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The TIAA-CREF Institute 2008 Higher Education Leadership Conference, "Higher Education in a Global Society", with a focus on the critical role of higher education in strengthening worldwide economies, building global collaborations, and meeting workforce needs around the world ends today.

Higher education experts from around the world will discuss international research collaborations and workforce development, including:

• What responsibilities do academic institutions have for encouraging and supporting such global connections?
• What are the advantages, challenges and liabilities concerning international research collaborations for institutions and for individual researchers?

Featured speakers for the November 7th program include: Molly Corbett Broad, President, American Council on Education, Elizabeth D. Capaldi, Executive VP and Provost, Arizona State University, Claude Canizares, VP of Research and Associate Provost, MIT, Mark Yudof, President, University of California, Garrick Utley, President, The SUNY Levin Institute, Constantine Papadakis, President, Drexel University, William Destler, President, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Dan Guaglianone, Executive Director, Recruiting and Staffing, Merck & Co.

The day will close with remarks from Madeleine d'Ambrosio, Vice President and Executive Director, TIAA-CREF Institute. "We hope the dialogue shared at our conference will help higher education leaders maximize opportunities and make informed decisions about the global challenges of the 21st Century."

Photography of the event will be made available following the conference. For a complete agenda and list of speakers, visit:

http://www.tiaa-crefinstituteconference2008.org/

About TIAA-CREF

TIAA-CREF (www.tiaa-cref.org) is a national financial services organization with more than $420 billion in combined assets under management (6/30/08) and the leading provider of retirement services in the academic, research, medical and cultural fields.

TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC and Teachers Personal Investors Services, Inc., members FINRA, distribute securities products.

Annuity products are issued by TIAA (Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America), New York, NY.

About the TIAA-CREF Institute

The mission of the TIAA-CREF Institute, part of TIAA-CREF, is to foster objective research, build knowledge, support thought leadership, and enhance understanding of strategic issues related to higher education and lifelong financial security. For additional information, please visit www.tiaa-crefinstitute.org.

(C) 2008 Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association-College Retirement Equities Fund, New York, NY 10017.