Boston Mayor Thomas Menino officially announced Wednesday that he will be co-directing a new Initiative on Cities at Boston University once his tenure as mayor is complete.

Menino announced at a press conference at 100 Bay State Road that he will be co-directing the institute with Graham Wilson, chair of the political science department at BU, in hopes that Boston will become a place where cities come together to discuss how they are approaching problems.

“Cities are full of energy and promise, but they are also full of challenges — on environmental fronts, on educational roadblocks, on growing inequalities,” Menino said. “I hope very much to sit down with mayors and leaders around the world as I tackle these issues.”

Boston University President Robert Brown said BU has an opportunity to contribute to the vitality of cities through this initiative because BU is a university rooted in a vital, thriving city.

“The mission of the initiative will be to engage researchers, policymakers and constituents from U.S. cities, and especially from around the world, to help plan the government, manage the law and development of infrastructure and services that will be required for cities to flourish,” he said.

Menino said he will be leaving City Hall on Jan. 6, 2014 to make way for mayor-elect Martin Walsh. He will start work at his office on Bay State Road on Feb. 1, 2014.