Peter Aronsson (born 1959) is a professor in history with sustained engagement in the role of the academy as an independent but central institution to promote a better world. As a professor he led large international comparative projects building an informed general understanding of the dynamics when cultural institutions like national museums interplay more – and sometimes less - successfully with the making of nation and states from 1750 to 2020s (EuNamus). Generalizing from this comes an engagement in the power of universities to contribute in both the more constantly relevant issues for humankind to empower new generations to take on their lives as individuals and citizens better equipped but also the urgent need for dealing with the complexities of Agenda 2030. To provide knowledge and interaction needed for a sustainable future needs a capacity for international collaboration which includes the urgent programmes for Open Science. This programme as formulated recently by among others UNESCO (https://www.unesco.org/en/natural-sciences/open-science) starts with important and basic opening of not only publication but also other resources as data and open educational resources. But it also needs to frame the ability to use and implement the potentiality in very divergent setting. New digital opportunities are powerful and instrumental in pursuing this internationalization by enhancing the role of technology in higher education. Exploring and promoting these capacities is contingent on a strong and independent academia and will use the priorities of IAU in promoting values-based leadership in higher education, gives an urgent motivation for the importance of fair and ethical internationalization of higher education. One of the main purposes and tools to reach out is to integrate sustainable development into higher education and research strategies.