Spotlight:
Register for the IAU 2023 International Conference
Explore the conference website to discover all the details related to the conference: from the Programme and Speakers to Practical Information. Register for the conference now to join the IAU in Doha this November!
Upcoming Events and Opportunities:
High Level Political Forum (HLPF), 10-19 July 2023
IAU will again take part in the UN HLPF. This year’s forum will focus on “Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels.” IAU looks forward to engaging with the HLPF this summer. Find more information on the virtual events and engagement opportunities here.
Call for Experts on Open Science
The IAU is pleased to announce that it will establish an expert group on Open Science to exchange experience and views on the role of universities in the implementation of Open Science across its different dimensions. Submit your expression of interest to take part in this global peer-learning expert group that aims to discuss opportunities and challenges of universities in the shift toward open science. The call is open until 15 July.
For more information, contact Trine Jensen, IAU Manager, HE & Digital Transformation
Call for papers IAU Horizons: Countering Global Strife through interculturality?
Universities have a key role to play in building intercultural competencies, nurturing intercultural understanding, and establishing a sense of interconnectedness in a world that seems increasingly polarised and divided, marked by the erosion of social coherence and human freedoms. How does academic responsibility figure in this context of rising geopolitical tensions and national protectionism? How do we facilitate international collaboration and foster a culture of peace? How can universities leverage their influence and stem breakdowns in civic discourse? And how does this converge with the growing demand on universities to actively engage in knowledge diplomacy? In brief, how can universities sustain and build intercultural ties and empower global citizenship and social responsibility?
To discuss these important questions, the IAU is pleased to open a call for papers in terms of a thought piece of maximum 800 words. The deadline for submission of abstracts is 9 July, and the deadline for submission of papers is 1 August. Please submit the abstract here.
Online Diploma: Management of Higher Education Internationalization
In collaboration with the UNESCO Chair for Internationalization of Higher Education and Global Citizenship of the University of Guadalajara, the IAU is pleased to launch an online diploma on the Management of Higher Education Internationalization. This first edition is particularly targeted to Latin America. Consecutive editions will focus on other regions of the world.
Places are limited and registration closes on 25 August. With any questions, please write to IAU Manger for HE and Internationalization, Giorgio Marinoni.
IAU Series on The Future of Higher Education
IAU has hosted more than 60 webinars in the IAU series on the Future of Higher Education. Webinars focused on a wide range of topics: from digitalization in HE post pandemic to leadership for the SDGs; from the importance of international cooperation to the role of nexus of health, equity, and gender in HE. Guest speakers from all regions of the world discussed these intersectional and dynamic challenges with the IAU.
Upcoming Webinars
SDG 11: Progress, Challenges, Lessons Learned and Tools for Sustainable Transformation of Cities, 14 July 2023, 14:30 CEST
In collaboration with the Sustainable Cities Institute, the World Blind Union (WBU), UNIBO, and the University of Paris Saclay, the IAU is pleased to present on SDG 11: Progress, Challenges, Lessons Learned and Tools for Sustainable Transformation of Cities at the 2023 United Nation’s High Level Political Forum. Learn more about this event here. Register now.
Community and Partnership-Based Approaches to Capacity Building in the Water Sector, 18 July 2023, 14:00 CEST
At the occasion of the review of SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) at the 2023 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), experts from the academic and professional sector will address the question: How do we know what we know about water? Working with local communities and forming partnerships at the global level for capacity building and training/education will be the focus of the discussion with experts from universities, private sector and civil society.
This event co-organized by SDSN, GWP and IAU. Register now.
Webinars on Demand
Who Does the Thinking? The Role of Generative AI in Higher Education
Generative AI has taken the world by storm since OpenAI launched ChatGPT-3 in November 2022. Generative AI is characterized by its capacity to generate human-like content based on deep learning models in response to prompts. There is a wealth of opinions about how this will impact higher education spanning from the need to limit the use in the protection of higher education to embracing the tool as a means to improve higher education. In this webinar session, speakers from different regions shared their views and perspectives in discussion of how Generative AI will transform higher education. What are the challenges to be addressed and which opportunities can be pursued to improve the quality of higher education? Watch the webinar now.
Empowerment of Higher Education Institutions as Enablers of Integration
In honor of World Refugee Day, IAU worked with UNESCO to highlight importance of inclusion for refugees and displaced populations in the higher education landscape. IAU Deputy Secretary General Dr. Andreas Corcoran chaired the session “Empowerment of Higher Education Institutions as Enablers of Integration.” The session recording will soon be made available.
IAU Updates
IAU session at ANGEL Conference at UNESCO:
Under the theme of Global Education and Learning for a just, peaceful and sustainable world, the ANGEL Network held its conference at UNESCO in Paris on 19 & 20 June.
IAU was pleased to organise a panel discussion on the role of higher education for the SDGs with our members ISIT (France), PH Heidelberg (Germany) and York University (Canada).
Higher Education Reform Conference (HEReform2023)
IAU Secretary General Hilligje van’t Land gave the opening keynote speeh at the HER 2023 on the Sustainable Development Goals: Their potential and relevance for higher education policy and reform”. Participants were invited analyse the place and work of Higher Education in and beyond the SDGs period to 2030. This year’s edition was co-hosted by the School of Education and CR&DALL, the Faculty of Education of the University of British Columbia, Pascal Observatory and the IAU, at the University of Glasgow in June. Dr van’t Land was also a discussant in the panel on equitable partnerships and global cooperation for sustainable development. Presentations of all presenters will be uploaded shortly on the Conference website and are well worth listening to.
4th UArctic Assembly, hosted by Université Laval, in Québec, in May
The Assembly brought together the broader UArctic community to discuss the strategy of the Association and focused on the future teaching and learning and research in and on the Arctic. The program included discussions about the geopolitical challenges affecting this multicultural region and a panel discussion on sustainable development and climate changes in the northern and Arctic regions. The IAU Secretary General represented the IAU on this panel. More information here. Learn more about UArctic here.
UNESCO ESD-Net 2030: Europe-North America Regional Meeting
Launched in October 2022 by UNESCO, the ESD-Net 2030 is a global network to advance Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) policy and implementation, following the previous Global Action Programme (GAP). As a partner of ESD-Net 2030, IAU was pleased to join the ESD-Net 2030 Regional Meeting in Paris on 26 and 27 June, co-organized by UNESCO, UNECE, and the European Commission. IAU Secretary General Hilligje van’t Land joined the panel with IAU Member representatives Robert J. Didham (Inland University of Applied Sciences, Norway) and Charles Hopkins (York University, Canada) to discuss the role of ESD in transforming (higher) education.
ARES Summer School on Internationalization
Isabel Toman, IAU Programme Officer for Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development (HESD), attended and presented at the ARES Summer School on Internationalization in Brussels on 22 June. Her presentation, entitled “Internationalization and Sustainable Development – Incompatible or Mutually Beneficial Partners?”, highlighted the work of two of IAU’s priority areas.
Annual Joint Meeting of the ENIC and NARIC Networks
IAU Deputy Secretary General Dr. Andreas Corcoran attended the Annual Joint Meeting of the ENIC and NARIC Networks from 11-13 June 2023 in Stockholm, Sweden. There, he met with the Swedish Council for Higher Education (ENIC-NARIC Sweden), the ENIC Bureau and NARIC Advisory Board, the European Commission, the Council of Europe, and UNESCO representatives to discuss developments in the field of higher education qualification recognition.
IAU Partnered with UNODC and USAID to Support Anti-Corruption Education at Universities in Ukraine.
The UNODC University modules for SDG 16 are now available in Ukranian; on this occasion, IAU Secretary General Hilligje van’t Land was invited to speak at the virtual launch event on 31 May. SDG 16 and anti-corruption efforts in higher education remain one of the pillars of the longstanding cooperation between UNODC and IAU. Learn more about the UNODC GRACE University Module Series on Anti-Corruption and other free resources here.
IDOCOS Project: Concluding Event
Innovative Doctoral Courses for Sustainability (IDOCOS) aims to enhance the quality of and increase access to doctoral courses through international co-creation and sharing. To support this objective, the main focus of the project has been to develop a methodology for international collaboration building on co-creation and sharing of doctoral courses. On 15 May, IAU and project partners hosted the concluding event to hear the key project outcomes and welcomed audience members to an interactive session where they could engage, ask questions and share their experience in terms of collaboration around doctoral courses. Watch the event recording now.
For more information, contact Trine Jensen, IAU HE & Digital Transformation Manager.
Closure of the 6th IAU Survey on Internationalization
The 6th IAU Global Survey on Internationalization of Higher Education is now closed. We thank the 736 Higher Education Institutions from 110 countries and territories around the world that replied to the survey. The analysis of the results is currently being performed and the report is expected to be published at the beginning of 2024.
Recent Publications
Reports Launched on IAU-UIL Project on Lifelong Learning
On 5 June, during a virtual event, the UNESCO Institute of Lifelong Learning (UIL), together with IAU and Shanghai Open University, launched two reports: International Trends of Lifelong Learning in Higher Education and Institutional Practices of Implementing Lifelong Learning in Higher Education. Watch the event recording here.
Higher Education Policy vol. 36.2
The latest issue of Higher Education Policy (HEP 36/2), the IAU quarterly peer-reviewed journal, is now out. Papers look at the quality of distance education in for-profit institutions in Brazil; how higher education has been transformed in 15 post-Soviet countries; and the processes of policy experimentation in China’s education reforms. Consult the list of articles & abstracts here. To order a copy, please contact Nick Poulton
Featured Resources
IAU Horizons: The Future of Internationalization in a Changing World
The latest issue of IAU Horizons (vol 28.1) focuses on the Future of Internationalization in a Changing World. Authors from all regions of the world, representing different institutions and organizations, share their insights on the internationalization of higher education given ongoing global transformations.
IAU Speaks Out: Policy Statements
IAU adopts positions and develops Policy Statements on issues of global concern for higher education. The topics are identified by the Association’s leadership and membership. Each Statement is the product of extensive drafting and international consultations. All statements are endorsed by the General Conference of the Association. Read IAU Policy Statements here.
HESD Portal
The IAU Portal for Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development (HESD) provides unique access to university projects and global initiatives to support sustainability. Access the Portal here.
IAU World Higher Education Database
The IAU WHED is the key information resource of the UNESCO Global Convention on the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications. The IAU WHED supports global academic mobility and international cooperation while reinforcing quality assurance and credentialing.
IAU is Pleased to Welcome New Members
Join us in extending a warm welcome to four new Members!
Learn More About IAU Membership
Member and Partner News
Open Call for the 5th ASEF Young Leaders Summit
The 5th ASEF Young Leaders Summit (ASEFYLS5) is a Leadership Programme for young Asians and Europeans on “Leadership in Society 5.0.” ASEFYLS5 connects young professionals and students from 50+ Asian and European countries to learn, exchange and collaborate. Learn more about this opportunity here.
ESN Survey XV
The Erasmus Student Network has recently launched the last edition of the ESNsurvey, the largest student-led survey focusing on student exchanges and the internationalisation of Higher Education from the student perspective. You can find the survey here.
International Green Gown Awards
The International Green Gown Awards, for which the IAU has been a years-long partner, reward the outstanding sustainability projects and initiatives led by institutions and their individual staff and students, across tertiary education worldwide. Congratulations to this year’s 92 finalists, including IAU members, who represent 25 countries! Winners will be announced at the virtual awards ceremony which will take place on July 17th at 13:30 EST, as part of the UN High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. Reserve your place now!
HESI (Higher Education Sustainability Initiative) Global Forum, 17 July 2023
The HESI Global Forum, to which IAU has been a consistent partner for many years, to be held as an in-person event at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, will place a particular focus on understanding the challenges and opportunities to accelerate the recovery from COVID-19 and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda at all levels, in line with the theme of HLPF in 2023. Register now.
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