This webinar launched the book “Higher Education Leadership for Democracy, Sustainability and Social Justice“ published by the Council of Europe as part of its Higher Education Series. This publication is volume 26 of the series.

Democracy, sustainability and social justice are inextricably linked, and higher education plays an important role in identifying the intrinsic issues within this interplay and helping society devise viable and robust responses. The Covid-19 pandemic both highlighted and contributed to the fragility of democracy. During this period of crisis, the increasing erosion of democratic participation, the deepening of extreme inequities, the strengthening of identity and nationalistic politics, and the promotion of populist anti-intellectualism, involving attacks on science and knowledge itself, all became increasingly visible. This year, half of the world population will be voting in 83 elections. The overall expectation is that the world will be a different place at the end of 2024. In this context, higher education assumes a pivotal role: it can and must do more than develop and disseminate knowledge and understanding. Higher education must influence the way individuals and societies behave.

This is what was debated during the Global Forum on higher education leadership for democracy, sustainability, and social justice that the Council of Europe; the International Consortium for Higher Education, Civic Responsibility and Democracy; the Organization of American States; and the International Association of Universities co-organised at Dublin City University in June 2022.

The book that resulted from this Forum gathers chapters from authors from around Europe, the United States, Latin America, Australia and South Africa. The authors agree and together argue that higher education must influence the development of the attitudes, values, and skills that individuals use to shape societies. Higher education has a key role to play for today and tomorrow as a leader of society, and this leadership will be borne of the steps taken within the higher education community for the greater common good.

This webinar launched this important publication; authors presented their viewpoints and a discussion with the participants followed. The book is accessible in Open Access and can be accessed here

Opening Words

• Matjaž Gruden, Director of Democratic Participation at the Council of Europe

• Ira Harkavy, Founding Director of the Netter Center for Community Partnerships at the University of Pennsylvania; Chair of the International Consortium for Higher Education, Civic Responsibility, and Democracy

• Hilligje van’t Land, Secretary General of the International Association of Universities (IAU)

Speakers

• Ahmed Bawa, Professor, University of Johannesburg, and former CEO of Universities South Africa

• Marcelo Knobel, Former 12th Rector of the University of Campinas (Unicamp) in Brazil, where he is a Full Professor of Physics

• Martina Darmanin, Former President in the European Students Union (ESU) (2021-22)

• Ronaldo Munck, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Centre for Engaged Research at Dublin City University, Ireland and Visiting Professor, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina

FACILITATOR

• Irina Geantă, Manager, information gathering and curator of best practices in digital education, European Commission’s Digital Education Hub and editorial assistant of the publication that is being launched

Read the session description and speaker bionotes here.

Watch the webinar here on the IAU Youtube Page.