Great Lakes Higher Education Consortium

Great Lakes Higher Education

Great Lakes Higher Education Consortium

The Great Lakes Higher Education Consortium (GLHEC) is an initiative of the Council of the Great Lakes Region (CGLR) convening some of the region’s top academic institutions who are demonstrating commitment to strengthening the region’s long-term competitiveness through education, workforce development, research, and innovation.

Launched to advance cross-border collaboration among leading universities, GLHEC positions higher education at the center of solutions to the Great Lakes region’s economic, social, and environmental challenges—ensuring today’s students and institutions are prepared to lead a sustainable future.

Future Now: Building Tomorrow’s Workforce, Innovations, and Businesses

Established in 2020, the Great Lakes Higher Education Consortium facilitates a new era of binational, institutional collaboration across the U.S.–Canada Great Lakes region. The Consortium focuses on three interconnected priorities critical to regional sustainability and economic resilience:

The alignment of higher education, industry, and government enables GLHEC to translate academic excellence into real-world impact across the region.

The Role of Higher Education in Regional Sustainability

The Great Lakes region is home to some of the world’s most respected universities and research institutions. GLHEC recognizes that these institutions play a vital role not only in educating future leaders, but in driving innovation, economic growth, and sustainable development.

In 2020, CGLR released Great Lakes, Great Minds: Setting the Stage for Higher Education, Business, and Government Collaboration, a foundational report highlighting how universities can and must help shape the region’s workforce, innovation ecosystem, and entrepreneurial capacity. This report was the groundwork for the launch of the GLHEC.

Higher education is a cornerstone of building a region that is competitive, inclusive, and environmentally responsible.

Program Goals & Activities

The Great Lakes Higher Education Consortium works to:

Strengthen cross-border collaboration among academic institutions
Align academic research with workforce and industry needs
Accelerate innovation and entrepreneurship across sectors
Support sustainability-focused education and applied research
Foster partnerships between higher education, business, and government

Through convenings, research initiatives, pilot programs, and shared learning, GLHEC helps institutions and partners move from insight to action.

Who the Consortium Serves

GLHEC serves a diverse network of stakeholders across the Great Lakes region, including:

Partnership & Collaboration

Administered by the Council of the Great Lakes Region and co-founded with leading academic institutions, GLHEC provides a trusted platform for collaboration that crosses borders, disciplines, and sectors.

Founding and early members include the University of Toronto, University of Illinois System, University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin System, Queen’s University, and McGill University, with opportunities for expanded participation as the Consortium continues to grow.

By working together, higher education institutions and their partners can accelerate solutions that prepare the workforce, support innovation, and strengthen the region’s shared future.

GLHEC Partners & Supporters

Take Action Now

Donate Today

Charitable contributions to the CGLR Foundation is the US and the CGLR Canada Foundation are crucial for helping us integrate environmental considerations into our regional public policy decisions, business strategies, and investment choices.

Get Involved

By supporting CGLR Canada and the CGLR USA, our trade associations will help bring sector leaders together to grow the US-Canada economic partnership, making the region more competitive in today’s fast-paced global marketplace.