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IAU represented at events
The IAU represents its Members and speaks out on behalf of the global higher education community at meetings and events around the world. The Association, represented by the IAU President, members of the IAU Administrative Board, the Secretary General and senior staff from the secretariat, presents its work and shares expertise on strategic issues for higher education and society at large. The selection of events listed aims at showcasing the ways in which the Association engages with HE stakeholders around the world for the benefit of the HE sector and society at large.
IAU official Policy Statements are available here.
Stay up to date on which events IAU attends and where you can meet with a representative by subscribing to our newsletter.
December 2023
18-21 December
ESD-Net 2030 Global Meeting
Following the launch of the ESD for 2030 Programme in 2021 during the UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development in Berlin (Germany), the global community will come together for the UNESCO ESD-Net Global Meeting in Tokyo (Japan) to evaluate progress and strengthen ESD within the SDG implementation efforts for 2024-2025. Furthermore, the meeting aims to continue to advance the processes transforming education, develop systemic education responses to current global challenges, and facilitate further multi-stakeholder engagement within the implementation of ESD for 2030. IAU Secretary General Hilligje van’t Land will attend and co-lead the session on HESD. In-person participation is upon invitation only, but online registration is available here.
November 2023
20 November
FEDE Academic Conference 2023
On Monday 20 November, the IAU partook in the FEDE Academic Conference 2023, for which it is a partner. IAU Secretary General Hilligje van’t Land spoke at the event to raise awareness of the importance of international cooperation and intercultural understanding in higher education. Learn more about the event here.7-22 November
UNESCO General Conference
IAU Secretary General Hilligje van’t Land spoke at the conference to discuss the role of UNESCO in securing higher education in society. She emphasised the IAU’s work to encourage intercultural dialogue, learning, and citizenship through higher education. Other representatives from the IAU attend various sessions of the 2023 UNESCO General Conference in Paris.6-8 November
Conference of the Americas on International Education (CAIE)
Giorgio Marinoni, IAU Manager, HE and internationalization contributed to the expert panel “What’s next for International Education: A Global Dialogue” at the Conference of the Americas on International Education (CAIE), organized by IAU member organization Inter-American Organization for Higher Education (IOHE) in Las Vegas this week. Learn more on the conference website.2-23 November
EWORA Conference: Global Female Leadership and the Future of Universities
8th European Women Rectors Association (EWORA) Conference was held from 2-3 November in Istanbul on the topic of “Global Female Leadership and the Future of Universities." IAU Vice President Inga Zalienene and Secretary General Dr. Hilligje van’t Land represented the IAU and spoke on Roundtable Four. The conference celebrated Gülsün Saglamer for her extraordinary leadership of this network and saw the election of Kerstin Tham, Vice Chancellor, Malmö University, as the new President of the EWORA.
October 2023
23-25 October
Anniversary of the Magna Charta Universitatum
IAU Vice President Patrick Deane, Former IAU VP Pornchai Mongkhonvanit, IAU Senior Fellow Marcelo Knobel, and IAU Secretary General Hilligje van’t Land were pleased to attend the anniversary of IAU Affiliate Member Magna Charta Observatory in Lodz, Poland, in October 2023. The conference discussed Universities and Re-Construction of Cities: the Role of Research and Education and focused in particular on Ukrainian HE and its role in rebuilding the country. Learn more about the event here.19-21 October
UIL International Conference on Promoting Lifelong Learning in Higher Education: From Institutional Strategies to Practical Implementation
The IAU was pleased to be a key partner in the UIL International Conference on Lifelong Learning in Shanghai, China from 19-21 October. IAU President Andrew Deeks, IAU Board Members Sunungurai Dominica Chingarande and Jouhaina Gherib, and IAU Secretary General Hilligje van’t Land actively participated in the conference. Read the resulting Recommendations for Promoting Lifelong Learning in Higher Education here.Learn more about the event and discover conference materials here.17-18 October
First International Forum on Higher Education in Mongolia
Andreas Corcoran, Deputy Secretary General, contributed to the First International Forum on Higher Education in Mongolia in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and spoke on Innovation: Challenges and Best practices in Higher Education. The forum was organized jointly by the Mongolia Ministry of Education and Science (MoES), the Mongolia National Commission for UNESCO, UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for East Asia, with solid support from UNESCO UIL and the International Association of Universities (IAU), amongst others. The forum’s key recommendations were received by the Minister of Education of Mongolia as part of the government’s agenda to reform the Mongolian higher education sector.10 October
ACA Strategic Summit 2023 - Internationalisation of Higher Education in a Changing Context and ACA 30th Anniversary Celebration
On Tuesday 10 October, Hilligje van’t Land, IAU Secretary General, and Giorgio Marinoni, IAU Manager HE and Internationalization, participated in the ACA Strategic Summit 2023 and ACA 30th anniversary celebration. Hilligje van’t Land contributed to a panel discussion on “Diversity in international higher education cooperation”. Pictures from and information about the event are available on the ACA website.
September 2023
26-29 September
EAIE 2023 Conference in Rotterdam
IAU Secretary General Hilligje van’t Land and Manager for Internationalization Giorgio Marinoni attended the 2023 EAIE Conference in Rotterdam from 26-29 September 2023. They presented on Strategic Data Management; Internationalization and Sustainable Development Strategies; Perspectives on Internationalization in and with Latin America; Connecting Research and Practice in International Student Mobility and lead discussions on the role and future of higher education in society. Click here to explore the programme and discover the sessions they engaged with.27 September
Innovations in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (iSoTL) Conference
Trine Jensen, IAU Manager for Digital Transformation, participated as keynote speaker in the Innovations in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (iSoTL) Conference organized by the University of Kwazulu-Natal to discuss transformations in Teaching and Learning on 27 September.4-7 September
UNESCO Digital Learning Week 2023
Digital Learning Week, the reimagining of UNESCO’s Mobile Learning Week, brings together educators, policy makers, private sector partners, researchers and other stakeholders "to steer the human-centred digital transformation of education." IAU Manager for Digital Transformation Trine Jensen attended this event in Paris from 4-7 September.1 September
ENIS Virtual Summer School
Giorgio Marinoni, IAU Manager HE and Internationalization, was a keynote speaker at the first ENIS Virtual Summer School that took place on Friday 1st September. The title of his contribution was “Practice oriented research: how to have an effective collaboration between researchers and practitioners."
August 2023
22-25 August
IEASA conference and NIEA meeting
Giorgio Marinoni, IAU Manager HE and Internationalization spoke at the session “What future for internationalization of higher education around the world?” at the IEASA conference. He also coordinated the meeting of the Network of International Education Associations that took place at the conference.16-17 August
SDG 8 Cluster Meeting and Workshop at the University of Gothenburg
From 16-17 August, the SDG 8 Initiative at the University of Gothenburg (GU), part of the IAU HESD Cluster, arranged a two-day workshop to advance its collaborative work. The first day was dedicated to discussing a book on SDG 8 that will be launched in 2024. The aim of the book is to review relevant research and capacity-building needs for the achievement of the SDG 8 targets. The second day included a discussion on how to move the subcluster forward, with an online intervention from Isabel Toman, IAU Programme Officer for Sustainable Development.
July 2023
10-19 July
United Nations High Level Political Forum (HLPF)
IAU again took part in the UN HLPF. The 2023 forum focused on "Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels." More information can be found here.12 July
Revision of the 1974 Recommendation: UNESCO Member States Reach Consensus
The 1974 Recommendation is an international standard-setting instrument that articulates education’s role in building peace, human rights, international understanding, cooperation, fundamental freedoms, global citizenship and sustainable development. It establishes international principles and standards for governing education. To ensure its continued relevance, experts from 112 countries and 50 partner organizations, including IAU representatives, met in Paris to agree on a revised text to be adopted by all UNESCO Member States at the General Conference in November.
June 2023
26-27 June
UNESCO ESD-Net 2030: Europe-North America Regional Meeting
Launched in October 2022 by UNESCO, the ESD-Net 2030 is a global network to advance Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) policy and implementation, following the previous Global Action Programme (GAP). As a partner of ESD-Net 2030, IAU was pleased to join the ESD-Net 2030 Regional Meeting in Paris on 26 and 27 June, co-organized by UNESCO, UNECE, and the European Commission. IAU Secretary General Hilligje van’t Land joined the panel with IAU Member representatives Robert J. Didham (Inland University of Applied Sciences, Norway) and Charles Hopkins (York University, Canada) to discuss the role of ESD in transforming (higher) education.21 - 23 June
HER Conference Glasgow, Scotland
IAU Secretary General Dr. Hilligje van’t Land was one of five keynote speakers at the Higher Education Reform 2023 Conference. The conference was hosted by the University of Glasgow Center for Research & Development in Adult and Lifelong Learning (CR&DALL).22 June
ARES Summer School on Internationalization
Isabel Toman, IAU Programme Officer for Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development (HESD), attended and presented at the ARES Summer School on Internationalization in Brussels on 22 June. Her presentation, entitled "Internationalization and Sustainable Development – Incompatible or Mutually Beneficial Partners?", highlighted the work of two of IAU’s priority areas.19 - 20 June
ANGEL Conference, UNESCO Paris, France
The Academic Network for Global Education & Learning (ANGEL), in partnership with UNESCO, hosted its fourth international conference. The IAU was proud to co-host a session dedicated to the theme Global Education & Learning for a Just, Peaceful and Sustainable World.11-13 June
Annual Joint Meeting of the ENIC and NARIC Networks
IAU Deputy Secretary General Dr. Andreas Corcoran attended the Annual Joint Meeting of the ENIC and NARIC Networks from 11-13 June 2023 in Stockholm, Sweden. There, he met with the Swedish Council for Higher Education (ENIC-NARIC Sweden), the ENIC Bureau and NARIC Advisory Board, the European Commission, the Council of Europe, and UNESCO representatives to discuss developments in the field of higher education qualification recognition.9-10 June
CIHE 2023 Biennial Conference on International Higher Education, Boston, USA
On Saturday, 10 June, Hilligje van’t Land, IAU Secretary General participated in the closing panel discussion “Global trends and actors, local needs and policies: tensions and opportunities” of the CIHE 2023 Biennial Conference on International Higher Education. Since 1995, CIHE has promoted the belief that an international perspective is needed to foster enlightened policies and practices in higher education. This biennial gathering of researchers in the field deepened that commitment by providing a new forum for rich dialogue in a collaborative, interdisciplinary, and intimate environment.7 June
2023 WES-CIHE Summer Institute, Boston, USA
On Wednesday 7 June, Giorgio Marinoni, IAU Manager HE and Internationalization presented the IAU’s research work in a panel discussion on practitioner-oriented research at the WES-CIHE Summer Institute. This event supported the development of the next generation of international higher education scholars, by connecting graduate students and early career researchers with seasoned professionals and senior scholars from around the world.30 May- 2 June
75th NAFSA Annual Conference & Expo and first NIEA meeting, Washington, D.C., USA
Giorgio Marinoni, IAU Manager HE and Internationalization represented the IAU at the 75th NAFSA Annual Conference & Expo by chairing the panel “Our shared global future: Perspectives on internationalization from International Education Associations” with representatives from the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA), the Mexican Association for International Education (AMPEI) and the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA). The first meeting of the year of the Network of International Education Associations (NIEA), which is chaired by IAU, also took place at this NAFSA Conference.
May 2023
22-26 May
4th UArctic Assembly, hosted by Université Laval, in Québec
The Assembly brought together the broader UArctic community to discuss the strategy of the Association and focused on the future teaching and learning and research in and on the Arctic. The program included discussions about the geopolitical challenges affecting this multicultural region and a panel discussion on sustainable development and climate changes in the northern and Arctic regions. The IAU Secretary General represented the IAU on this panel.8-10 May
5th Universia International Rectors’ Summit
The 5th International Rectors’ Summit focused on the role of Universities as a driving force for a more sustainable social and economic development. IAU Secretary General Dr. Hilligje van’t Land presented at the Summit on creating new frameworks and networks for mobility.5 May
SDG 3 Cluster Meeting at the eHealth Center of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
The IAU HESD Cluster on SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, recently held its first face-to-face meeting over three days, coordinated by the eHealth Center of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). Experts from six universities shared their progress, pooled their knowledge, and worked to continue building a collaborative space. Learn about key messages in the summary article here and watch the short video here.
April 2023
20-21 April
EUA Annual Conference
The European University Association’s 2023 Annual Conference shone a light on what we mean when we talk about university impact. The conference explored the role of university leadership in delivering on various forms of impact. The event was hosted by Politechnika Gdańska.
March 2023
30 March
UNESCO ESD Webinar - IAU Session on Transformative Approaches in Teaching SDG 4
To promote knowledge sharing, collaboration, and mutual learning ESD-Net 2030 organized a series of learning webinars on ESD pedagogy to highlight and promote innovative practices in ESD. IAU was pleased to have been selected as one of the workshop implementers. The breakout session focused on “Higher Education & ESD: Taking a transdisciplinary approach to teaching based on SDG 4 and ESD at universities".27-28 March
IAU met with ACU and AUF in Paris
A group of 18 colleagues, including the leadership, of the International Association of Universities (IAU), Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), and the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) met at AUF offices in Paris to strengthen our cooperation for the higher education sector and our contributions towards a more sustainable future.23 March
Higher Education at the UN 2023 Water Conference
IAU supported an official side event organised by the University of Bergen and other partners at the UN 2023 Water Conference (UNWC23) which took place at UN Headquarters in New York on Thursday 23 March.22 March
The Role of Higher Education to Contribute to the SDGs on the Way Towards a More Sustainable Future
IAU Programme Officer for HESD Isabel Toman spoke at a Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas webinar on the Role of Higher Education to Contribute to the SDGs on the Way Towards a More Sustainable Future.10 March
ASEF ARC9 Report Launch Event
The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) launched the ARC9 Study report on ’Higher Education Mapping: working towards the SDGs’ on 10 March. IAU Programme Officer Isabel Toman joined the panel at this virtual event. The twofold ASEF ARC9 Study provides insights into the practices at higher education institutions and policy in the region. Part of the data draws on the data from the recent IAU-HESD Survey, which was conducted in partnership with ASEF.7-9 March
IAU SDG 3 Cluster Meeting in Barcelona
IAU Programme Officer for HESD Isabel Toman took part in a 3-day workshop for the members of the IAU HESD Cluster on SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, hosted by the Open University of Catalonia (UOC), IAU Member and Cluster Lead, in Barcelona. Representatives of six universities from all continents discussed how “Catalysing collaboration for an integrated approach to health in support of equity and wellbeing worldwide” can be put into action.
February 2023
24 February
Academic Colloquium at Daystar University, Kenya
At the Academic Colloquium organised by Daystar University, Kenya on 24 February, Giorgio Marinoni, IAU Manager HE and Internationalization, presented the chapter that he wrote together with Trine Jensen, IAU Manager HE & Digital Transformation, Publication and Events: The Impact of the Pandemic on Higher Education and Potential Implications for the Future for the book Online Learning, Instruction, and Research in Post-Pandemic Higher Education in Africa (Munyao, M. (Ed.) (2022)).23 February
US Transforming Education Summit
On 23rd February, IAU Secretarty General Hilligje van’t Land was invited to give a keynote at the opening of the US Summit for Transformative Education, organised by SDSN and Columbia Unviersity. In her presentation, she showed how finding dynamics between (higher) education and the 2030 Agenda and colllaboration can show the way towards a more sustainable future. Learn more about the 3- day virtual event or watch the recording here.
January 2023
16-18 January
SDG 14 Meeting in Cape Town
IAU and the University of Bergen, Norway (IAU Global HESD Cluster Lead for SDG 14) co-organized an expert workshop on teaching and research for the SDGs, in particular relating to Ocean and Climate (SDG 13 and 14), in Cape Town in January. The Workshop included a series of sessions on the Norwegian Tall Ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl where students that spent a 4-month course on board explained the T&L and research projects they worked on. IAU Secretary General Hilligje van’t Land and Programme Officer Isabel Toman used this unique opportunity to also meet with the Leadership and the International Office at the University of Cape Town and the leadership at IAU Members Durban University of Technology (DUT) and University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).