Advancing Fair, Transparent, and Cross-border Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications

Second Session of the Intergovernmental Conference of States Parties to the Global Convention on Higher Education

The International Association of Universities (IAU) is honoured to participate in the Second Session of the Intergovernmental Conference of the States Parties to the Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning higher education, held on 25 June 2025 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. The IAU is represented onsite by IAU President Andrew Deeks, President and Vice Chancellor of Murdoch University, Australia; IAU Secretary General Hilligje van't Land; and IAU Deputy Secretary General Andreas Corcoran.

The meeting marks another step forward in advancing fair, transparent, and cross-border recognition of higher education qualifications. The ongoing Conference aims to adopt the draft Operational Guidelines, a critical tool to assist practitioners in implementing the Convention, and launch discussions on vital topics including quality assurance in transnational education and recognition of qualifications for refugees and displaced persons.

Speaking on behalf of the IAU’s global higher education community, IAU President Prof. Andrew Deeks addressed the Conference, reaffirming the IAU’s longstanding commitment to international collaboration in higher education and its strong alignment with the values and goals of the global convention.

In his remarks, Prof. Deeks emphasized two key ways in which the IAU supports the implementation of the Convention:

1. Raising Awareness at the Institutional Level: Recognition of qualifications often lies in the hands of individual institutions, yet many are still unfamiliar with the Global and Regional Conventions. The IAU is actively working to disseminate information on these frameworks through its global network, national rectors’ conferences, and engagement with institutional leaders.

2. Strengthening Recognition through the World Higher Education Database (WHED): Developed by IAU in collaboration with UNESCO, the WHED provides detailed, up-to-date information on national education systems and a verified global registry of recognized higher education institutions, each with a unique identifier. This resource directly supports Article VIII of the Global Convention, helping to facilitate recognition, combat fraud, and build trust across systems.

IAU remains committed to supporting UNESCO and the States Parties in making the Global Convention a truly transformative framework for global higher education. We look forward to continued collaboration and to advancing a more connected, inclusive, and trustworthy international higher education landscape.