International Association of Universities - IAU

🌍 Applications are now open for the 2026 IAU–EAIE Internationalization Leadership Dialogue.

Taking place on 8 September 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland, ahead of the EAIE European Association for International Education Annual Conference and Exhibition, this joint IAU–EAIE Leadership Dialogue will bring together senior higher education leaders to discuss “Leading Internationalisation in Turbulent Times.”

The Leadership Dialogue offers a unique opportunity for institutional leaders responsible for internationalization and global engagement to exchange perspectives, strengthen networks, and explore strategies for addressing today's challenges - from geopolitical shifts and changing mobility patterns to sustainability and the evolving role of international higher education.

👉 Secure your spot now - application closes 30 June 2026
🔗 Learn more and apply here: https://iau.global/news/iau-eaie-internationalisation-leadership-dialogue-2026

IAU on-site at the 2026 Higher Education Summit

The IAU is pleased to be represented by Senior Officer for Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development, Isabel Toman, onsite at the 2026 Higher Education Summit (HES) on 25-26 August. The HES in organised by IAU member and partner Copernicus Alliance, and hosted by Université de Bordeaux, France. Bringing together international students, educators, and stakeholders, the HES aims to offer opportunities to exchange ideas, embrace diversity, and explore transformative learning for sustainable futures.

During the event, IAU representative Isabel Toman, together with Katrin Kohl (York University, tbc) will present their publication ''Advancing Transformative ESD through a Whole-Institution Approach: Evidence from Action Research and Insights from Guidance Tool Design'', which examines how a Whole-Institution Approach (WIA) to ESD can advance the principle of "leaving no one behind" within higher education institutions (HEIs) and beyond.

In addition to paper presentations, the HES offers informative teaching and learning labs, collective learning sessions, keynote speeches, panel discussions, and more.

☀️ Register before 28 June to take part: https://www.higher-education-summit.com/registration-2026

🌐IAU-UNESCO Webinar series highlight

As artificial intelligence continues to transform how knowledge is created, accessed, and shared, universities face critical questions about their role in safeguarding knowledge as a public good.

The second webinar in the UNESCO –IAU lecture series ''The Academic Conscience and Artificial Intelligence'' featured Professor Paul Tiyambe Zeleza from Howard University, who discussed AI and Knowledge: Tensions Between the Common Good and Commodification. The discussion explored how AI is reshaping access to and ownership of knowledge, and what responsibilities higher education institutions have in ensuring that knowledge remains inclusive, accessible, and socially beneficial.

This conversation is particularly timely as we near the IAU 17th General Conference on the theme "The Value of Universities in the Era of Artificial Intelligence''. The conference will bring together university leaders from around the world to reflect on how AI is redefining learning, knowledge production, and the societal mission of universities.

🔗 Register for the IAU 17th General Conference taking place on 3-6 November in Perth, Australia: https://na.eventscloud.com/website/93690/registration/
🔗 Watch the webinar recording: https://iau.global/all-events/ai-and-knowledge-tensions-between-the-common-good-and-commodification

👉 Looking for opportunities to learn, connect, and engage in higher education and sustainable development?

Whether you are a higher education leader, researcher, academic, student, or practitioner, staying informed about upcoming events and initiatives is a great way to exchange knowledge, build partnerships, and contribute to advancing sustainable development in higher education. IAU offers a range of resources to help you stay connected with the global higher education community.

IAU's Portal features a Calendar of Events with upcoming conferences, webinars, and initiatives related to higher education, research, and sustainable development.

Don't forget to check out our Member News page, where you can find updates on events, opportunities for engagement, and inspiring achievements from IAU members around the world.

Explore the latest updates:
📅 HESD Portal Calendar of Events: https://www.iau-hesd.net/events
📰 IAU Member News: https://iau.global/member-news

🌍 Meet IAU on-site at the International Digital Week!

The IAU will be represented by Manager for Higher Education and Digital Transformation, Trine Jensen, and Manager for Higher Education and Internationalization, Giorgio Marinoni, on-site at the International Digital Week, hosted by Université Côte d’Azur, in Nice, France, on 22-26 June.

Convening on three overarching tracks: Digital Transformation in Education, Digital Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and Internationalization for Society, the event will bring together researchers, academic and administrative staff, policymakers, companies, and representatives of European and international networks to explore digital transformation.

IAU will contribute to a number of sessions during the event:
📆 22 June - Keynote Speech ‘’Navigating digital transformation and internationalisation in a world of uncertainty’’ delivered by Giorgio & Trine.
📆 23 June - Trine will host one Round table discussion titled “Digital Equity and Access: Ensuring No Learner is Left Behind’’ and one workshop: ‘’Making Sense of AI in Higher Education: Balancing Challenges and Opportunities’’.
Giorgio will host a workshop titled ‘’internationalisation for Society and the Global Common Good’’ (part 1 & 2).

Interested in connecting with Trine and Giorgio? Contact us at the IAU about the possibility of setting up an on-site meeting in Nice.

🔗Learn more and explore the programmes:

International Digital Week 2026 - Université Côte d'Azur The International Digital Week, organised by Université Côte d’Azur from 22 to 26 June 2026, is a five-day International event that brings together researchers, academic and administrative staffs, policymakers, companies, strategic partners and european and international networks representatives...

🌍 IAU at the 35th annual AULP meeting in Macao

This week, on 15-17 June, IAU Secretary-General Hilligje van’t Land is contributing to the 35th annual meeting of the Association of Portuguese Speaking Universities (AULP) in Macao. The meeting is organised by IAU member University of Macau 澳門大學 (UM), together with 澳門理工大學 Macao Polytechnic University (MPU), and Macao University of Tourism 澳門旅遊大學 - UTM (UTM).

The meeting brings together around 150 university representatives and guests from Portuguese-speaking countries and regions for in-depth discussions on the theme ‘International University Collaboration: Strengthening Academic and Cultural Ties between the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Macao-Hengqin and the Portuguese-Speaking Countries’. By convening university representatives on this occasion, the meeting aims to strengthen cooperation.

On 16 June, Hilligje, along with other esteemed speakers, will present in a panel on the theme 'Interuniversity relations'. Representing IAU as a global voice of higher education, Hilligje's presentation explores university relations on the global level.

The IAU is pleased to continue its close collaboration with AULP, an IAU organizational member, whose Secretary-General, Cristina Sarmento, is an IAU Board Member and Vice-President.

🔗 Learn more about the AULP meeting: https://www.gov.mo/en/news/402333/

🎉 The International Association of Universities (IAU) and Université Catholique de Lille are pleased to announce that Université Catholique de Lille has confirmed the leadership and coordination of the IAU Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development ( ) Subcluster on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10: Reduced Inequalities.

Commenting on Université Catholique de Lille’s leadership of the SDG 10 Cluster, Franck Dubois, Deputy President and Rector for the Humanities at the university highlighted their commitment to addressing inequality through international collaboration and knowledge exchange: “Universities have a critical role to play in addressing inequalities through education, research, and community engagement. By leading the SDG 10 Cluster, Université Catholique de Lille aims to strengthen international collaboration around themes such as migration, and social inclusion, while creating meaningful opportunities for students, academics, and partners to learn from one another and contribute to positive societal change.”

In this transition to a new sub-cluster leadership, the IAU extends its gratitude to University of Tsukuba in Japan, for its valuable support and work on SDG 10 over the last years.

🔗 Read more about the new SDG10 HESD Subcluster lead and their priorities: https://iau.global/news/universit-catholique-de-lille-to-lead-the-iau-hesd-subcluster-work-on-sdg-10

On 11 June, IAU Secretary-General Hilligje van’t Land participated in a Science Business roundtable, organised in partnership with Elsevier and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, in Brussels, Belgium.

The roundtable brought together policymakers, higher education experts, leaders, publishers, and library professionals to examine emerging threats to academic freedom and explore how institutions, governance frameworks, and international cooperation can strengthen resilience in research and knowledge creation. Discussions focused on protecting academic freedom in Europe, safeguarding open scientific inquiry, and identifying practical measures to support scholars and institutions in a rapidly changing global environment.

As academic freedom lies at the heart of the IAU’s mission and values, contributing to efforts that safeguard it remains a key priority for the Association.

🔗 Further information:

sciencebusiness.net

🌐Webinar on , education, and health.

Join us this Friday, 19 June, when IAU Global HESD Cluster Lead for SDG3, Western Sydney University, organises a webinar on AI in health-related education and research. The webinar welcomes an expert panel featuring Dr Joshua Pate (UTS: University of Technology Sydney), Dr Nerida Klupp (Western Sydney University), and Kayla Jaye (Western Sydney University) to discuss AI in healthcare and research, AI in health professional education, its related opportunities and challenges, ethics, bias, academic integrity, and more.

Learn more about the webinar and the speakers in the attachment below.

📅Friday, 19th of June, 5pm (AEST) (9am CEST)
📍Online
🔗Registration: contact [email protected] to receive participation link.

🗓️ Register for the IAU HLPF side event

On 8 July, the IAU will host an official online side event to the 2026 United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). The side event is co-organised together with มหาวิทยาลัยสยาม Siam University, Thailand (IAU HESD Cluster Lead for SDG 11), Mykolas Romeris University, Lithuania, and the Global Student Forum (GSF).

This session will explore SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and the essential role of universities in advancing sustainable, resilient, inclusive, and equitable urban development through education, research, innovation, and community engagement, with a particular focus on student-led initiatives that are driving positive change in cities and communities.

Join the discussion👇

📆 Wednesday 8 July, 2026 | 12:30 - 14:00 (CEST)
🔗 Register here: a79c1687-ad0b-4ed8-95ca-e3dfc32c55d0@145389f8-78e1-41bd-8e36-ba9fb718f5c3" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/a79c1687-ad0b-4ed8-95ca-e3dfc32c55d0@145389f8-78e1-41bd-8e36-ba9fb718f5c3
🔗 Read more: https://iau.global/all-events/sustainable-cities-and-higher-education-partners-and-accelerators-for…