The institute's roots reach back to 1986, when Governor
James B. Hunt, Jr., and NC State Chancellor Bruce Poulton convened the first Emerging Issues Forum. The Forum is an annual, two-day gathering of international, national and statewide thought leaders and stakeholders who discuss challenges and opportunities for North Carolina. A defining feature of the Forum is participants' collaborative effort to build consensus around specific recommendations for further collective action. In 2002,
North Carolina State University's trustees established the Institute of Emerging Issues to administer the annual Forum and to conduct a related program of work across North Carolina.
Emerging Issues Forum The annual Emerging Issues Forum is IEI's signature event, drawing more than 1,000 attendees each year. The first annual Emerging Issues Forum took place on January 8, 1986 at the McKimmon Center in
Raleigh, North Carolina. The theme was "Innovation and Competition: The Challenge to America." Speakers and participants included Chancellor
Bruce Poulton, Governor
Jim Hunt, NC State Student Body President Jay Everette,
John A. Young, and
Jim Goodnight, among others. Past speakers include former Presidents
Bill Clinton and
Jimmy Carter, former Speaker of the House
Newt Gingrich,
New York Times columnist
Tom Friedman,
Steve Forbes and others. Recent Forum topics have included "Generation Z," advanced manufacturing and world-class teaching.
Reconnect NC Forum Series In 2018, the institute introduced a new model for forums, having two forums per year over three years, all focused on reconnecting North Carolina. Several were hosted outside of Raleigh. ==Leadership==