UNESCO IESALC among those to chair the Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI)

The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) is a partnership between several United Nations entities and the higher education community. For 2024-2026, the Initiative is co-chaired by the UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC), the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the United Nations University, and the Sulitest Association.

Each year, HESI organizes a global forum as a special event of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) – the United Nations’ main platform for the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the global level – to highlight the critical role of higher education in achieving sustainable development.

Join us, on July 15, at the 2024 HESI Global Forum, which will feature the theme “The Future of Higher Education for Sustainable Development”. This special event of the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development will feature a multi-stakeholder discussion on the intersection of education, innovation and sustainability, with an emphasis on the impact of AI and other technologies.

As a co-organizer of this high-level event, UNESCO IESALC will coordinate the multistakeholder discussion of higher education’s contribution to the future of sustainability efforts and will present with the different initiatives it is advancing to have a greener, innovative higher education, linked to youth and different stakeholders, ensuring quality, inclusive and lifelong learning.

At the same time, UNESCO IESALC will co-launch with UN University a HESI Action Group on Future of Higher Education and Artificial Intelligence, aiming to drive ethical and effective digital transformation at higher education in making efforts towards a sustainable future for all.

The Institute is also organizing a panel discussion with higher education stakeholders from different regions of the world on the need for voluntary reviews of universities – to be more systematic and accountable in their contributions to the SDGs – and the challenges of translating the SDGs into actionable institutional practices.

This event will also mark the official launch of the Sustainability Self-Evaluation Tool for Higher Education Institutions (SET4HEI), a freecomprehensive resource that supports higher education institutions in measuring and increasing their contribution to the SDGs, developed by UNESCO IESALC in partnership with several UN agencies.

The forum will also showcase inspiring initiatives from the UN system and HESI action groups, highlighting the role of higher education in advancing the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Additional UN partners include UNESCO, UN Environment Programme, UN Global Compact’s Principles for Responsible Management Education initiative, UN-HABITAT, UNCTAD, UNITAR, UN Office for Partnerships, and UN Academic Impact. Together with hundreds of university networks, student organizations, and higher education institutions they collectively form the HESI Community.

More information: here

Deadline for registration: 5 July, 5 p.m. UTC-4

The event is open to all registered HLPF participants. Please use this form if you are not registered to attend the HLPF (nor do you have a valid UN pass) and if you would like to request a special ticket to attend this meeting in person. Please note that all travel arrangements, including visas, accommodation and transportation, are the responsibility of the participants. The United Nations does not charge a fee for participation in the event.