Held on the sidelines of the , the second annual Global Higher Education Symposium (GHES II) launched the Consensus Statement titled ¡°Building Sustainable Futures: A Consensus Statement on the Unique Position of Higher Education in the Pursuit of Solutions¡±, bringing together a unique group of higher education leaders and scientists, as well as representatives of civil society, the private sector and youth, to position higher education as a crucial actor in creating sustainable futures.
The event was convened by United Nations Academic Impact, together with its partners: the (UNESCO), (UNITAR), the (DWIH), the (SDSN), the (IAU), the (UNMGCY), the (HESI), the at York University, and the (ISC), after a year of consultations within their wider networks.
Opening the event, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications Melissa Fleming stated: ¡°We are here to launch an important document. One that builds consensus, and one that builds coalitions for change. The Consensus Statement launched today achieves something quite remarkable: it forges a new global community.¡±
Under-Secretary-General Fleming¡¯s remarks were followed by the Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations H.E. Fergal Mythen, who stated: ¡°[The Sustainable Development Goals] speak to us as diplomats and politicians, but they especially speak to young people. We have to protect that. We have to drive on and build an agreement for the future.¡±
Noting the demands placed on higher education institutions in a rapidly changing world, the Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the United Nations H.E. Brian Wallace shared: ¡°...tertiary education needs to pivot to become more adaptive, more flexible, and more aligned with society's anticipated needs. Symposiums like these are critical in establishing frameworks and networks where governments, the private sector, and universities can learn from one another and accelerate development."
Finally, closing the opening session, Executive Director of UNITAR Michelle Gyles-McDonnough stressed the diverse and essential roles higher education institutions play: ¡°[Universities] have served not only as centres of learning, but as engines of innovation...conveners of dialogue, incubators of leadership, and builders of communities and nations...the Consensus Statement reflects this enduring responsibility.¡±
Building on the outcomes of GHES I¡ªwhere participants contributed to a Zero Draft Consensus Statement outlining shared priorities for harnessing the transformative potential of higher education¡ªthe finalized Consensus Statement was then officially launched by Dr. Patrick Paul Walsh, Director of the SDG Academy at the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and Dr. Noah Sobe, Chief of the Higher Education Section at UNESCO.
Moderated by Dr. Katrin Kohl, Co-Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair at York University, the session outlined priorities identified through a global consultation process, calling on higher education institutions to uphold core values including academic freedom, equity, integrity, and the public good while transforming to meet contemporary global challenges through sustainability, well-being, and inclusive knowledge systems. ¡°[Universities] are more than providers of degrees or research upon request. We are places of learning and research, while also employers, landholders, purchasers, conveners, community partners, and public voices,¡± noted Dr. Kohl. The Consensus Statement further positions academia as an indispensable partner in advancing the SDGs, the Pact for the Future, the , and the emerging post?2030 development agenda, emphasizing collaboration and collective action to bridge the gap between global commitments and implementation.
GHES II further featured two panel discussions. The first, ¡®Higher Education in a Changing Global Landscape: One Year Later¡¯, moderated by International Association of Universities Secretary-General Hilligje Van¡¯t Land, brought together Ms. Nudhara Yusuf, Co-Chair of the Coalition for the UN We Need (C4UN); Dr. Ebru Canan-Sokullu, Director of the UNITAR Global Water Academy; and Dr. Yash Tadimalla, Global Focal Point for the Major Group for Children and Youth, to explore how recent events have affected the roles and activities of HEIs.
Speaking on how the recently launched Consensus Statement might aid institutions in navigating such events, Ms. Yusuf stated: ¡°[The Consensus Statement] can help in two ways. The first is in navigating the tensions of principles that higher education institutions are facing, and the second is in navigating the truth with the younger generation and the multilateral system.¡±
The discussion underscored the need for universities to balance technological innovation with their broader responsibility to foster critical thinking, global citizenship, and democratic participation while responding to modern-day challenges. Panelists emphasized that higher education must remain a public good, strengthening trust in multilateralism through collaboration, inclusive partnerships, and a renewed focus on long?term societal impact.
The second panel, moderated by Ms. Bev Ho, Head of Business Strategy and Global Client Partnerships at The Next Practice, featured Dr. Miki Sugimura, President of Sophia University; Dr. David Steingard, Head of the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) initiative (UN Global Compact); and Dr. Phoebe Koundouri, Professor at Athens University of Economics and Business, discussing pathways through which higher education institutions can advance the principles outlined in the Consensus Statement.
Panelists emphasized the importance of strengthening interregional collaboration, integrating scientific knowledge into policymaking, and building partnerships across academia, business, and communities to accelerate SDG implementation. They also stressed that higher education must remain human?centred in the age of artificial intelligence by valuing diverse knowledge systems, fostering people?to?people connections, and ensuring innovation advances diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Dr. Sugimura emphasized the need for human-to-human interaction, stating, ¡°It's a good time for us to reflect or rethink the definition of higher education...it is a great enabler...but it is also a great divider...[We need] to make quality assurance and recognition a main priority in these networks...[and] retain humanity through people-to-people connection. Higher education can drive people-to-people connection. Let¡¯s make connectivity the culture.¡±
The symposium concluded with a lightning round moderated by Ms. Aleksandra Gorisek, Head of the Civil Society and Academic Impact Section of the UN Department of Global Communications, featuring representatives speaking on behalf of partner organizations. Panelists outlined concrete institutional commitments to advance the Consensus Statement, emphasizing stronger collaboration across networks, greater youth participation, expanded engagement with marginalized and Indigenous communities, the importance of communicating and implementing the Statement through existing global partnerships, and the necessity of moving beyond dialogue toward coordinated action.
In the closing session, Mr. Christian Strowa, Director of DWIH New York and the DAAD Regional Office New York, delivered remarks, reminding participants that the future lies in our hands.
¡°[Higher education] is bringing people together in an environment where open discussion is possible,¡± said Mr. Strowa, ¡°where opinions are possible; where people can meet each other and form a consensus, as we have. This is something that requires resilience. It requires commitment. And it requires the passion that we have in the room today.¡±
Maher Nasser, Director of the Outreach Division of the UN Department of Global Communications, concluded the event with a hopeful message.
"We cannot and should not be complicit,¡± said Mr. Nasser. ¡°We have four years left, and it is important to double down on the SDGs that can be multipliers for achieving the rest...Hope is what keeps us going. Without hope, we will not do what we need to do.¡±