High Level Expert Group Meeting with UN-OHRLLS on Online Universities

In early June 2025, the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS) convened a High Level Expert Group Meeting on online university or equivalent platform for STEM education for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) within the framework of the the Doha Programme of Action for Least Developed Countries (2022 – 2031). The programme mandated UN OHRLLS to undertake a feasibility study to explore the possibility of establishing an online university or other equivalent platforms to enable LDCs to invest in and expand their higher education systems, particularly in STEM fields to bridge the gaps in the LDCs.

Trine Jensen, IAU Manager for Digital Transformation of Higher Education, represented the IAU as a member of the expert group to provide recommendations for this proposed initiative. Based on the data of the IAU World Higher Education Database (WHED), she presented an overview of the current state of STEM education in LDCs. Within these conversations, she underlined the importance of ensuring that such an initiative is locally anchored through partnerships and collaboration with already existing higher education institutions in the LDCs.

On the last day of the meeting the recommendations were presented to the UN Ambassadors of the LDCs. The report of the expert group will inform another feasibility study of the project before it is tabled for discussion the at upcoming UN General Assembly in September.