News
Read below IAU news both from the Association and from its Members. Search or filter news by category (IAU or Member News), as well as by subject matter.
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Education for Sustainable Development – Launch of new UNESCO Guidance Tools with IAU
The IAU is pleased to announce that on 17 September 2026, UNESCO launched 3 new guidance tools for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) during an online event.
The Role of Universities in Advancing AI for Good
In 2026, the 7th ASEF Higher Education Innovation Laboratory (ASEFInnoLab7) brought together university leaders, policy researchers, and innovators from across Asia and Europe under the banner of “The Role of Universities in Advancing AI for Good.”
Open Letter from the President: an Invitation to the IAU 17th General Conference
A Personal Invitation to the IAU 17th General Conference. The International Association of Universities' 17th General Conference comes at an important moment for higher education.
Discussions on the Transformative Impact of Education
From 26-28 August, Isabel Toman, IAU Senior Programme Officer for Higher Education and Sustainable Development (HESD) attended and presented a paper at the 2026 Higher Education Summit.
IAU Contributions to GSE 2026: Grounding AI and Digital Transformation in Human Agency and Empirical Evidence
From 18 to 20 August, the International Association of Universities (IAU) participated in the Global Smart Education Conference 2026 (GSE 2026) held at Beijing Normal University (BNU), China.
The Maldives National University Awarded IAU RFI Fee Waiver 2026
The IAU is excited to announce that Maldives National University (MNU) has received the annual IAU Responsible Futures International Fee Waiver to participate in the RFI 2026-2027 cohort, starting in October.
Advancing Education and Science for Sustainable Development
In July 2026, the IAU actively participated in two pivotal UNESCO events this July: the Transforming Education Summit +4 (TES+4) and the 2026 Global Conference on the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (IDSSD 2024–2033).
Navigating forcibly displaced learners’ pathways to higher education and beyond: Ukrainian students in French higher education
The IAU is pleased to announce that the article Navigating forcibly displaced learners’ pathways to higher education and beyond: Ukrainian students in French higher education has recently been published. This publication, written by Yasar Kondakci, Sevgi Kaya Kasikci, Giorgio Marinoni, and Kateryna Nakvatska, was born on the initiative of Kateryna during her internship at the IAU in 2024.
IAU and CAPES Sign MoU to Advance Internationalization of Brazilian Higher Education
The IAU is pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES) under the CAPES-Global.edu project, a major Brazilian government initiative for the internationalization of post-graduate higher education.
IAU Contributions to the Université Côte d'Azur International Digital Week 2026
The IAU was pleased to participate in the 5th edition of the Université Côte d'Azur International Digital Week, contributing expert insights and facilitating critical discussions on the intersection of digital transformation, internationalisation, and the future of higher education.
IAU Contributes to the Revision of the UNESCO Recommendation on Higher-Education Teaching Personnel
In the three decades since the adoption of the UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel (1997), the global higher education landscape has undergone profound transformation.
International University Collaboration: Strengthening Academic and Cultural Ties at the 35th Meeting of the AULP
From 15–17 June 2026, IAU Secretary General Hilligje van’t Land joined 150 university leaders from Lusophone countries and China at the 35th Meeting of the Association of Portuguese Language Universities (AULP), marking the organisation’s 40th anniversary.
Advancing Women’s Leadership in European Higher Education Amid Rising Geopolitical Tensions
On 10 June 2026, the European Women Rectors Association (EWORA) convened its annual conference in Brussels, bringing together women academic leaders from Europe and beyond under the theme: “Women’s Leadership in Academia in Times of Rising Geopolitical Tensions”. The event provided a critical space to reflect on the role of universities in upholding democracy, academic freedom, and international cooperation—values under pressure in an era of fragmentation and uncertainty.
GaragErasmus Annual Meeting 2026
IAU Manager of Higher Education and Internationalization, Giorgio Marinoni, recently contributed to the 2026 Annual Meeting of the garagErasmus Foundation. GaragErasmus is the Erasmus Generation Professional Network and aims t be a creative hub for mobile talents to support the shaping of a new Europe.
Pillars of Freedom: Safeguarding Knowledge and Building Institutional Resilience
IAU Secretary General Hilligje van’t Land participated in the Science|Business roundtable "Pillars of Freedom: Safeguarding knowledge, building institutional resilience" in Brussels.
Université Catholique de Lille to Lead the IAU HESD Subcluster Work on SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
The International Association of Universities (IAU) and Université Catholique de Lille are pleased to announce that Université Catholique de Lille has confirmed the leadership and coordination of the IAU Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development (HESD) Subcluster on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10: Reduced Inequalities.
IAU at the HLPF 2026
From 7 to 15 July 2026, the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) will be held under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council. The 2026 Forum will focus on the theme “Transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals for a sustainable future for all.”
Register Now: IAU 17th General Conference
Hosted by Murdoch University from 3-6 November 2026, the IAU 17th General Conference event will feature a dynamic programme exploring emerging trends in higher education, drawing on diverse perspectives from all regions of the world.
European Academic Recognition in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
The IAU was pleased to participate and contribute to the 33rd Annual Joint Meeting of the ENIC and NARIC Networks held on 24-26 May 2026 in Athens, Greece.
Toward a High-Impact University That Changes the World
The IAU was pleased to have been invited for the second year in a row to the Network for University Leaders in Governance and Management (DG2) 2026 Summer School, hosted by UNIMINUTO, Colombia.