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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Transformation and "Vibe Shifts" in Higher Education Sustainability
From 21–23 September 2026, Isabel Toman, Senior Programme Officer for Sustainable Development, represented the IAU at the Sustainability in Higher Education: Between Transformation and Vibe Shifts conference, hosted by Freie Universität Berlin in collaboration with the European University Alliance Una Europa
UWN and IAU Launch New Commentary Series: Beyond 2030: Higher Education and the Future of Sustainable Development
University World News (UWN) and the International Association of Universities (IAU) are launching a new 12-month commentary series exploring the evolution of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the role of higher education in the post-2030 sustainable development agenda.
IAU Contributes to the Future of Higher Education – Bologna Process Researchers’ Conference
On 16-17 September 2026, Dr Hilligje van’t Land, Secretary General, and Giorgio Marinoni, Manager of Higher Education and Internationalization, represented the International Association of Universities (IAU) at the 6th Future of Higher Education – Bologna Process Researchers’ Conference (FOHE-BPRC) in Bucharest, Romania.
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.
Reflections from the 2nd IAU-EAIE Internationalization Leadership Dialogue
On 8 September 2026, Scotland, the IAU and the European Association for International Education (EAIE) co-orangised the second edition of the high-level IAU-EAIE International Leadership Dialogue, hosted at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.
Focus on Higher Education at UNESCO Digital Learning Week 2026
From 8-11 September 2026, the IAU attended the UNESCO Digital Learning Week 2026 in its Headquarters in Paris. Under the theme Education in the age of AI: Facts | Frictions | Frontiers, this year’s programme focused on three key dimensions of the impact of this revolutionary technology on the education sector. It examined what counts as fact in an age of synthetic knowledge, how to navigate the friction that AI is generating across education systems, and, finally, what new frontiers are emerging.
The Rhythm of Revolution: IAU at the EAIE 2026 Conference
From 8 to 11 September 2026, the European Association for International Education (EAIE) held its 36th Annual Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, bringing together over 7300 international educational leaders and practitioners from 107 countries. Representing the International Association of Universities (IAU), Dr Hilligje van’t Land, Secretary General, and Giorgio Marinoni, Manager of Higher Education and Internationalization, contributed to 3 pivotal sessions addressing the evolving challenges facing higher education globally.
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.