A new social contract for education

On 10 November, IAU welcomed the launch of the UNESCO Futures of Education Report. The result of a global initiative, the report re-imagines how knowledge and learning can shape the future of humanity and the planet. IAU Members participated in the consultation process and the IAU Secretary General sits on the Advisory Board to UNESCO Futures of Education initiative.

Adoption Paris Declaration at the GEM

The Paris Declaration was adopted at the 41st UNESCO General Conference during the Global Education Meeting High-Level Segment (2021 GEM) on 10 November. The Declaration calls for renewed national and international leaders' commitment to invest in domestic  and international education and accelerate progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education). During the meeting, the SDG 4 High-Level Steering Committee received an official launch. This renewed global cooperation mechanism is central to monitoring Member States' progress, international actors' contributions, and recommending priority actions for education. IAU provides input to the debates to ensure higher education voices are taken on board.

[Photo: Emmanuel Macron,  President of France and Audrey Azoulay,Director-General Unesco ©UNESCO ]

UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science

On 15 November, Member States unanimously adopted the UNESCO recommendation on Open Science in its entirety during the Science Commission plenary session. The IAU took part as an observer in the intergovernmental meeting of experts who finalized the recommendation following multi-stakeholder consultations. The recommendation will contribute to defining shared values and principles for Open Science and identifying concrete measures on Open Access and Open Data. Want to learn more? Download the May 2021 issue of IAU Horizons devoted to Open Science in a Closed World.

Ethics of AI

Also during the UNESCO General Conference, UNESCO member states adopted the Recommendation on Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. The IAU was an observer and provided input to the Ad Hoc Expert Group that drafted the recommendation. This historical text serves to guide the construction of the necessary legal infrastructure to ensure the healthy development of AI.

Leadership for a sustainable future

The December issue of IAU Horizons offers insights on value-based leadership in higher education, internationalization strategies in the (post)-Covid era, the role of HE and research in sustainable development and the disparities of digital transformation in HE. The In Focus section features a collection of inspiring papers on Leadership for a Sustainable Future – Higher Education and Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals with contributions from HE leaders from 25 countries worldwide.

Call for papers: Reinventing Higher Education?

The May In Focus section of IAU Horizons is devoted to the third World Higher Education Conference (WHEC2022) under the overarching theme: Reinventing Higher Education for a Sustainable Future.
Please send expressions of interest to contribute a paper by 15 January 2022.

What links SDG 16 to higher education and research?

Within the UNODC Education for Justice (E4J) initiative, UNODC and IAU developed a Research Grant programme encouraging young scholars to carry out research linked to SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. The authors of the 13 winning papers were announced during a joint IAU-UNODC webinar on 23 November. This event was the occasion to meet the writers and launch the publication Higher Education engages with SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.  A roundtable and Q&A followed where authors and participants discussed the themes addressed in their papers.

How does language affect research?

Findings from Wellcome-commissioned research into language-based equity in African health  were the focus of  this webinar hosted by the ACU and supported by IAU on 30 November. Of particular interest to those specializing in health sciences and research management, the  webinar offers key findings and recommendations on language-based equity.

Ibero-American Association of Higher Distance Education (AIESAD)

The IAU contributed both in person and virtually to the second Ibero-American Association of Distance Higher Education (AIESAD) regional meeting in San José, Costa Rica, on 1-3 December. The conference theme was: The Internationalization of Distance and Online Higher Education: Digital Transformation, Quality and Regional Competitiveness'. 

Trine Jensen, Manager for HE & Digital Transformation, Publication and Events and Giorgio Marinoni, Manager, HE and Internationalization presented the impact of COVID-19 on higher education one year into the pandemic and potential implications for the future during the plenary session, based on data from the second IAU Global Survey on the impact of COVID-19 on higher education.

Giorgio Marinoni also facilitated a workshop for AIESAD members on the internationalization of higher education. The workshop explored the fundamental concepts and the latest trends in internationalization.

IAU in support of HE in Lebanon

The Lebanese Embassy in Paris hosted Saint Joseph University of Beirut during the University’s student-scholarship fundraising drive in France. Accompanied by a delegation, the Rector, Salim Daccache S.J., met over 150 people from France's academic, associative, political and social world. Attendees came to assist the University’s actions to overcome Lebanon's current economic and social challenges. Representing higher education, Hilligje van’t Land joined guests to support the future of HE in Lebanon.

IAU takes part in DHG Meeting in Basel

As part of the discussion on harmonizing investment in HE in the Global South, Andreas Corcoran, IAU Deputy Secretary-General, took part in the 11th Donor Harmonisation Group (DHG) Meeting in Basel, Switzerland, on 12 November. IAU hosted a world café discussing The IAU World Higher Education Database (WHED) and its relevance for professional and academic mobility, and facilitating collaboration between HE stakeholders. The exchange that followed focused on understanding how to answer the needs of the DHG Partners concerning higher education, how reliant organizations are on authoritative higher education data, and the role data plays in their operations and decision making.

[Photo: Andreas Corcoran, Deputy Secretary General, IAU]

IAU at CANIE COP 26 Leaders Forum

Giorgio Marinoni, IAU Manager for HE and Internationalization policy and projects, attended the CANIE (Climate Action in International Education Week) COP26 Leaders Forum on 8 November. The Leaders Forum brought together stakeholders in International Education from around the world for the first time to collectively commit to act in response to the Climate Crisis. Participants explored how they can work together to transform the international education sector to engage in and accelerate climate action within this decade and beyond. 

WAHED 2021

In its fourth year, World Access to Higher Education Day brought together over 30 speakers from 6 continents in 5 different sessions for WAHED 2021: Who will be going to university in 2030?. Hilligje van't Land, IAU Secretary-General, was the keynote speaker for the second session on Universities which addressed equity and inclusion in higher education. The session highlighted the importance of giving quality attention to education from pre-primary to lifelong learning through higher education policies and implementation strategies. 

Registration open for SOTG2022

Registration is open for the second Sustainable on the Go (SOTG 2022) Conference organized by York International, Navigating the new Normal in Education, on 24 January 2022. As a co-organizer of this event, IAU is looking forward to engaging with the higher education community and beyond to refine the concept of physical and virtual internationalization and mobility.  SOTG 2022 will address three themes: Sustainable and inclusive global learning fostering diversity and equity in internationalization, Connecting the local and global classrooms, and Local and global community engagement. All themes will include the cross-cutting issues of gender, education for sustainable development, and Indigeneity.

UWI and UiB strengthen ties

The University of Bergen and the University of the West Indies signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen the ties between the two long-term partners on Saturday, 13 November. The MoU builds on the two institutions' leading roles for the IAU, UWI on SDG13 climate action and UiB on SDG14 life below water respectively. As SDG leads in the IAU Global Cluster on HESD, the IAU has entrusted both universities with developing joint initiatives and synergies linked to their SDGs. UiB and UWI are also represented in each other’s SDG cluster, thus building a solid connection on the ocean-climate nexus. Both clusters also bring in the University of the South Pacific (USP), another key global partner on this nexus. 

[Photo: Stacy Richards-Kennedy from the University of the West Indies with Kerim Hestnes Nisancioglu representing the University of Bergen at the official signing of the new Memorandum of Understanding between the two universities. ©UWI]

UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development

Congratulations to Birzeit University’s Media Development Center (MDC) which received the UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development 2021 on 15 November for their project, Media and Information Literacy for Sustainable Communities.The MDC’s project focuses on the role of media in encouraging Palestinian youth to effect positive change in their communities through a mix of practical, hands-on training and constructive, critical dialogue, helping young men and women become more active citizens in their societies and beyond.

The Promise of Higher Education

70 Years of IAU and International Collaboration focused on IAU’s mission and achievements over time and how it bridges cultures in a quest to promote academic partnerships and solidarity across diverse societies and political systems. To date, the book has over 173 (k) downloads, proof of its significance and purpose.

HEP December 2021

Higher Education Policy (HEP 34/4 – December 2021), the IAU quarterly, peer-reviewed journal, is available. The fifteen articles look at topics, including academics' perceptions of their autonomy, over-expansion of higher education and the possible effects of a drop in birth rates, the legislative framework of the Ethiopian higher education sector, and disparities in quotas across provinces in China.

Be a Changemaker – Support IAU to Advance the Global Higher Education Sector!

IAU is a unique global association of Higher Education institutions and organisations, which advocates for higher education worldwide. The current COVID-19 situation has reinforced the need for a stronger international cooperation in the field of education. IAU wishes to keep offering its services and activities to its Members and the broader higher education community. Help us reach our common goals and contribute to advancing the HE sector with us by making a donation to IAU.

The WHED is the key resource for the practical implementation of the UNESCO Global Convention on the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications. The WHED supports global academic mobility and international cooperation while reinforcing quality assurance and credentialing.