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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Empowering Youth as the Changemakers of Society
The 2025 Erasmus Generation Meeting (EGM) in Ancona was a moment of full-circle reflection and renewed commitment for the International Association of Universities (IAU). Representing the Association, Giorgio Marinoni, IAU Manager for Higher Education and Internationalization, addressed an audience of hundreds of young leaders at one of Erasmus Student Network’s (ESN) largest annual events.
Artificial Intelligence Institutional Site Visit
The IAU is pleased to announce that this year’s Institutional Site Visit will be hosted by Beijing Normal University (BNU) in China from 20-21 August 2025.
The University is pleased to welcome IAU Members to learn about their extensive experience in leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) to transform higher education.
IAU at the Global Education Coalition's Fifth Annual Meeting
On March 24, at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, the International Association of Universities (IAU) joined the Global Education Coalition (GEC) to shape the future of education and reaffirm our commitment to SDG 4.
HEIAS Grant Winner: University of Petra, Jordan
Each year the IAU reserves a budget to cover one of the HEIAS programmes for one IAU Member HEI. The HEIAS grant covers the full fee of the service; the institution will only have to cover the travel and subsistence costs (accommodation and meals) of the members of the expert panel.
Connecting Universities in a Divided World
When higher education institutions are deeply rooted in their national contexts, it can be challenging to see beyond familiar frameworks. Local policy concerns, cultural norms, and political pressures all shape institutional priorities—and rightly so. But without engaging with global perspectives, how can institutions effectively reflect on their role in a rapidly changing world?
Higher Education Policy Vol.38, Is.1
The first edition in 2025 of Higher Education Policy brings us a diverse collection of papers, looking at themes such as the pay of chief executives of higher education institutions in the UK, how Covid-19 impeded teaching and research and how to prevent this happening in the future, how education policies have been manipulated in a number of African states, and trends in the increasing participation of Palestinian Arabs and Jews in academic education in Israel.
IAU President Joins Global Dialogue at UA Solutions Summit 2025
IAU President Professor Andrew Deeks took part in the Universities Australia Solutions Summit 2025, joining higher education leaders from around the world to discuss how universities are navigating an increasingly complex global landscape.
IAU Vice President Participates in UNESCO Chairs Meeting in Tunis
IAU Vice President Professor Jouhaina Gherib recently took part in a regional meeting of UNESCO Chairs in Africa, held in Tunis and organized by UNESCO Higher Education and its regional offices.
IAU Celebrates the International Day of Women and Girls in Science at UNESCO
The 2025 International Day of Women and Girls in Science (IDWGS) brings renewed focus to closing the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. To mark the occasion, the International Association of Universities (IAU) was onsite at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris to take part in a series of events highlighting the importance of diversity, inclusion, and representation in science.
IAU Supports the Launch of OpenEU: A New European Universities Alliance
The OpenEU Alliance has been launched as part of the broader European Universities Initiative, a flagship programme under the European Strategy for Universities. The International Association of Universities (IAU) was pleased to be onsite for the launch, with Secretary General Dr. Hilligje van’t Land participating alongside university leadership teams and colleagues from EADTU.
HEIAS at Toyo University, Japan
Following the successful launch of the Higher Education Internationalization Advisory Services programme (HEIAS) at the IAU 2024 International Conference in Tokyo, Japan at Sophia University, the IAU is pleased to announce that Toyo University will be the first higher education institution to participate in the HEIAS programme.
HEIAS Annual Grant
Each year the IAU reserves a budget to cover one of the HEIAS programmes for one IAU Member HEI. The grant will cover the full fee of the service; the institution will only have to cover the travel and subsistence costs (accommodation and meals) of the members of the expert panel.
IAU Horizons 30.1 - Call for papers on Transforming Our World: Shaping the Path Forward
The International Association of Universities (IAU) calls on higher education leaders to reflect on their engagement with the SDGs and to share insights on both the achievements and shortcomings of the current agenda.
Fostering a Global Conversation and Cooperation in Higher Education
What is higher education for? What does it mean for international higher education to be fair and ethical? Where does transnational higher education sit in the balance bewteen cooperation and competition? IAU Deputy Secretary General Andreas Corcoran recently discussed these questions, amongst others, with Fabrizio Trifirò on the latest episode of the "Experiences of International Education" podcast.
Dialogue with the UNESCO Education Programme
The International Association of Universities (IAU) was pleased to take part in the 2024 International Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations, held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris over the course of three days. The conference convenes representatives from over 400 NGOs working across UNESCO’s areas of competence and serves as a platform to strengthen collaboration between civil society and the organization.
Call for Papers: Higher Education Policy
The IAU has launched a Call for Papers for a Special Edition of its quarterly research journal, Higher Education Policy. The special edition will be entitled International Organizations and Higher Education and abstracts should be submitted before 15 January 2025.
UNESCO Participation Programme: Promoting Equitable and Inclusive Internationalization at Universities in Africa
The International Association of Universities (IAU) is proud to announce that it has been awarded a grant under the UNESCO Participation Programme for a new initiative titled "Promoting Equitable and Inclusive Internationalization at Universities in Africa." This project underscores IAU’s long-standing commitment to supporting higher education institutions in developing inclusive and contextually grounded internationalization strategies.
Empowering and Advancing Africa's Scientific Enterprise
The International Association of Universities (IAU) was pleased to be represented by IAU Board Member Professor Abdul Rasheed Na’Allah at the 15th General Assembly and Scientific Conference of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS), held in Abuja, Nigeria from 9–12 December 2025.
Advocating for Stronger Higher Education Cooperation in Africa at UNESCO Forum
The International Association of Universities (IAU) was proud to be represented at the recent UNESCO Forum on Higher Education in Africa: A Driver for Sustainable Development, a major event that brought together higher education institutions, youth leaders, skills providers, and development partners from across the continent. Held under UNESCO’s global priority on Africa and aligned with Agenda 2063 – The Africa We Want – the Forum provided a vital space to reflect on how Africa’s higher education ecosystem is helping to address sustainable development challenges at local, national, and regional levels.
International Forum on the Futures of Education
From 2–4 December 2024, UNESCO convened the International Forum on the Futures of Education in Suwon, Gyeonggido, Republic of Korea. The event brought together policymakers, scholars, practitioners, and international organizations to reflect on how education can be reimagined to build more sustainable, inclusive, and just societies. Central to the discussions was UNESCO’s call to renew the social contract for education.