IAU Horizons: Dimensions of Trust in Higher Education
We are pleased to announce the release of a new edition of IAU Horizons. This issue offers insights into IAU’s ongoing initiatives and activities and features contributions that reflect the Association’s strategic priorities and commitment to advancing higher education worldwide.
In Focus: Dimensions of Trust in Higher Education
The university, in its corporate structure, is one of very few institutions in global history that have survived the passing of time. Ideally, universities are marked by unique ethical commitments that enhance their trustworthiness. The idealized view of academia stresses its openness, its universality, its institutionalized procedures for self-criticism and self-correction, being a force for good across all its missions. However, it has become increasingly harder to convincingly demonstrate its merits and benefits. Given the growing influence of technology and commodification of universities, it has become uncertain whether the social contract with society still holds. Whether the university is still a trusted place of knowledge, suitable to provide the skills and competences the labour market requires, and if a university degree is still key to personal and collective growth and societal advancement.
Against this backdrop, this In Focus section is dedicated to the theme Dimensions of Trust in Higher Education. Leaders of higher education institutions worldwide share their reflections on the current state of trust or lack thereof. We are pleased to present 32 articles from 28 countries across all regions of the world, examining the reasons behind the apparent rise in distrust and offering suggestions on how to regain trust in higher education. This issue of IAU Horizons was published as a contribution to the IAU 2025 International Conference, hosted by the University of Rwanda, on Building Trust in Higher Education.
