Robert Hemenway was still buzzing Tuesday after spending four days last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“It was incredible,” the Kansas University chancellor said. “It was one of the most stimulating experiences of my whole life.”

Hemenway attended the conference, which was Jan. 25 through Saturday, at the invitation of KU alumnus Mark Booth, the CEO of NetJets Europe in London. Hemenway also met with KU alumni and donors in London during the trip.

He was one of about 170 representatives from academic institutions and think tanks. In all, the conference drew more than 2,000 attendees from the areas of business, government, nongovernment agencies, religious institutions and media.

Hemenway said he was especially impressed by discussions on eliminating malaria, AIDS and tuberculosis.

“You’re kind of dealing every day with issues that have huge significance for the world at large,” he said. “It’s very heady stuff. You’re constantly challenging yourself.”

The chancellor said he thought his experiences would help in his decision-making on campus, especially with KU’s efforts to give students more international knowledge before they graduate.

“I’m certain I’m going to be able to bring perspectives from being in Davos on internationalizing our curriculum and the way we prepare people for a global perspective,” Hemenway said. “You’re surrounded by not just Europeans but people from every part of the world, and you’re finding a lot of commonalities in your problems. And what a tremendous energy there is for solving those problems.”