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IAU at the UNESCO General Conference 2025 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan
The International Association of Universities (IAU) is proud to actively participate in the UNESCO General Conference 2025. The IAU has a long-standing partnership with UNESCO and is committed to representing the global higher education community in international policy discussions.
IAU Participates in CAEI 2025 in San José, Costa Rica
The International Association of Universities (IAU) was pleased to take part in the 9th edition of the Conference of the Americas on International Education (CAEI), held from 15–17 October 2025 in San José, Costa Rica.
IAU Brings Global Attention to AAC&U Statement Defending Academic Freedom and Institutional Autonomy
The IAU brings the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Public Statement on the Trump Administration’s “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” to the attention of the broader higher education community.
Save the Dates: 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.
Publication Launch: Internationalization of Higher Education: Insights into Equity, Diversity & Inclusion; Sustainable Development; and International Partnerships
The International Association of Universities (IAU) is pleased to announce the release of its latest publication: Internationalization of Higher Education: Insights into Equity, Diversity & Inclusion; Sustainable Development; and International Partnerships
Leading Internationalization in Turbulent Times: Reflections from the 1st EAIE–IAU Internationalization Leadership Dialogue
Shaped by shifting political climates, economic pressures, technological disruption, and the evolving priorities of societies worldwide, the practice of building and sustaining global connections in higher education is as complex as it is vital. Today, institutions face these challenges within the broader context of a polycrisis — a convergence of global disruptions that make navigating the international landscape both more difficult and more urgent.
Highlights from EAIE Gothenburg 2025: Responsible Internationalization
The International Association of Universities (IAU) was pleased to participate in the 2025 Annual Conference of the European Association for International Education (EAIE), hosted this year in Gothenburg, Sweden. Bringing together thousands of higher education professionals from around the world, the conference served as an inspiring platform to share knowledge, exchange ideas, and collectively reflect on the future of internationalisation in higher education.
The Academic Conscience and Artificial Intelligence
The series will consist of six online episodes, with interpretation in English and French. Each episode will feature one keynote speaker presenting for 20 minutes, followed by a moderated conversation with selected discussants, and an open Q&A session with the audience. This format is designed to foster participatory dialogue and multi-perspective exchange across regions and disciplines.
Special Issue Call for Papers on Open Science
This Higher Education Policy (HEP) special issue invites scholarly contributions that critically examine the promises and contradictions of open science. 'Contributions should critically engage with the ways in which financial interests, policy frameworks, geopolitical asymmetries, and disciplinary hierarchies shape current models of openness.
Driving Education Policy Forward: IAU Participation in the Council of Europe’s CDEDU
As part of its ongoing engagement in global and regional education policy dialogues, the International Association of Universities (IAU) participated in the recent meeting of the Council of Europe’s sub-group on higher education policy, a body working under the Steering Committee for Education (CDEDU). The meeting, held in Brussels and Leuven, brought together representatives and experts to prepare for the upcoming CDEDU plenary and to advance discussions on the future of higher education in Europe.
Universities and AI: Insights from the IAU Global Survey at UNESCO’s Digital Learning Week 2025
Trine Jensen, Manager of Higher Education and Digital Transformation, represented the IAU at UNESCO’s Digital Learning Week 2025. This year’s conference was themed around ‘AI and the future of education: Disruptions, dilemmas and directions’, which took place from the 2nd to the 5th of September at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France.
Institutional Site Visit on Artificial Intelligence at BNU
From August 20 to 21, 2025, IAU Institutional Site Visit on Artificial Intelligence and the Global University Leaders Forum——Harnessing AI to Transform Higher Education was successfully held at the Changping and Haidian Campuses of Beijing Normal University (BNU). Leaders, experts, and scholars from 18 universities across 16 countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, and Oceania gathered in Beijing to engage in in-depth discussions on the transformation of higher education empowered by artificial intelligence and to examine relevant practical achievements. The Site Visit and the Forum was co-hosted by International Association of Universities (IAU) and UNESCO Chair on Artificial Intelligence in Education, Beijing Normal University, which marked the first implementation of the “IAU Institutional Site Visit” program in China and also the flagship cooperative initiative following Beijing Normal University’s official accession to IAU.
Shaping the Future of Higher Education for Innovation and Sustainable Development in Africa
The International Association of Universities (IAU) was proud to participate in the 16th Quadrennial General Conference of the Association of African Universities (AAU), taking place this week in Rabat, Morocco. Held under the theme “Shaping the Future of Higher Education for Innovation and Sustainable Development in Africa,” the conference provides a vital platform for reflection, exchange, and collaboration among higher education leaders from across the African continent and beyond.
Sustainable, Inclusive, Science- and Evidence-Based Solutions for the 2030 Agenda
From 14 to 23 July 2025, the IAU actively participated in the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), held under the theme “Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for leaving no one behind.” With a focus on SDG 3 (Health), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 17 (Partnerships), the Forum provided a key opportunity to highlight the transformative potential of higher education institutions (HEIs) in advancing the 2030 Agenda.
IAU and WUA Launch Key Activities for UNESCO-Supported Internationalization Programme
The International Association of Universities (IAU) has officially launched the implementation phase of its UNESCO Participation Programme project, "Promoting Equitable and Inclusive Internationalization at Universities in Africa," in partnership with the Women’s University in Africa (WUA).
IAU Welcomes UN Human Rights Council Resolution on the Right to Education
On 7 July 2025, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted Resolution A/HRC/RES/59/9 on the right to education. The International Association of Universities (IAU) warmly commends the Council for this important step forward and is pleased to see growing international consensus on the evolving nature and critical importance of education at all levels.
Out Now: IAU Horizons issue, Volume 30, no. 1, 2025
The UNESCO Future of education Initiative, the UN 2023 SDG Summit, in New York, the Pact for the Future adopted at the UN in 2024, and upcoming discussions at the 2025 UN High-Level Political Forums all in which the IAU is strongly involved, underscore the pressing need to reflect on what has worked, what has not, and what must come next. In this critical moment, this issue of IAU Horizons is devoted to the topic Transforming Our World: Shaping the Path Forward. It is an invitation for the members of the higher education community to reflect on their engagement with the SDGs and to share insights on both the achievements and shortcomings of the current agenda. More importantly, the aim is to steer a forward-looking discussion on the evolving role of higher education in driving transformation beyond 2030.
Responsible Futures International Grant Opportunity
Beginning with the 2025-26 cohort, the IAU offers one grant to cover the participation of one IAU Member HEI for the Responsible Futures International programme. With the IAU RFI Grant, we hope to increase access and diversity of participating institutions working towards the development of a truly global programme. The grant will cover the participation fee for the full programme, including ad hoc support; the institution will cover the travel and subsistence costs if opting for an audit in person.
Sustainability at the whole institution
With just five years remaining until the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is increasingly clear that progress is falling short. Global efforts to advance climate action, reduce inequality, and ensure quality education have been hampered by compounding crises, political inertia, and widening structural divides. Yet, across university campuses, there is a markedly different mood: students are not waiting passively. Around the world, young people are demanding that their institutions take bolder, more integrated action to confront the intersecting social and environmental challenges of our time.
Advancing Gender Equality in Higher Education
The International Association of Universities (IAU) was pleased to be represented at the EWORA 2025 Conference by IAU Vice Presidnet Inga Zaleniene, Rector, Mykolas Romeris University, Lithuania. The conference is concluding today at Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Lisbon.