Global Forum on Higher Education 2025

Programme
of the Global Forum on Higher Education 2025

DAY 1 - TUESDAY, 3 JUNE 2025

8:00 AM - 8:30 AM: Registration and Welcome Coffee

8:30 AM – 9:30 AM: Opening Remarks

Welcoming remarks: Matjaz Gruden, Director for Democracy, Council of Europe

Opening remarks by host institution and key partner organizations
Introduction to the theme: Why does higher education’s democratic and civic mission matter now more than ever?

Mikuláš Bek, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Czech Republic

Radka Wildová, Director General for Higher Education, Science and Research, Czechia

Milena Králíčková, Rector of Charles University

Antonín Jančařík, Dean of the Faculty of Education, Charles University

Villano Qiriazi, Head of Education Department, Council of Europe

Ira Harkavy, Chair of the International Consortium for Higher Education, Civic Responsibility, and Democracy; Director of the Netter Center for Community Partnerships at the University of Pennsylvania

Jacinth Henry-Martin, Saint Kitts and Nevis Ambassador to the Organization of American States and United States of America

Hilligje van’t Land, Secretary General, International Association of Universities (IAU)

9:30 AM - 9:50 AM: Keynote on "Envisioning the Future of Democratic Engagement in Higher Education"

A keynote exploring the role of universities in strengthening democracy amid global challenges.

Patrick Deane, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Queen’s University (Canada); President of the Governing Council, Magna Charta Observatory; Vice-President of the Administrative Board, International Association of Universities

9:50 AM - 11:00 AM: Plenary Session: Global Perspectives on Higher Education’s Role in Democracy

This session brings together higher education leaders from diverse regions to reflect on the keynote and share regional perspectives on the evolving civic mission of universities.

Moderator: Snježana Prijić Samaržija, Professor and Rector of the University of Rijeka, Croatia

Jonathan R. Alger, President, American University, Washington, D.C.

Peter Maassen, Professor, Department of Education, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Oslo, Norway

Francis Petersen, Vice-Chancellor of University of Pretoria and Chair of Universities South Africa

11:00 AM - 11:15 AM: Coffee Break

11:15 AM - 12:30 PM: Plenary Session: Reclaiming Higher Education’s Public Purpose – The Role of Students and Youth

How are students shaping the democratic and civic role of universities? This discussion will highlight student-led initiatives, activism, and the importance of including youth perspectives in decision-making.

Moderator: Ana Gvritishvili, Global Student Forum Steering Committee Member representing the European Students’ Union (ESU)

Kai Hopkinson-Ramsammy, Newman Civic Fellow, Class of 2025, University of San Diego, USA

Rolando Pelicot Ruiz, Participant, UNAOC Young Peacebuilder Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean

Arno Schrooyen, Vice-President, European Students' Union

12:30 PM - 2:00 PM: Lunch Break

12:30 PM – 1:00 PM: Side event: Presentation of the Report on the Threats to Academic Freedom

Authors of the Report and members of the Council of Europe Expert Working Group on Democratic Mission of Higher Education

Peter Maassen, Professor, Department of Education, University of Oslo, Norway

Zoltán Rónay, Associate Professor, Institute of Education, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary

Gergely Kováts, Associate Professor, Institute of Management, Corvinus University of Budapest, Hungary

2:00-3:30 PM: Interactive Parallel Workshops

Workshop 1: Design Thinking for Democratic Engagement
- Developing innovative strategies for participation, particularly student participation, in democratic processes on campus.

Tim Eatman, Inaugural Dean of Honors Living-Learning Community, Rutgers University - Newark, USA

Pil Maria Saugmann, President, European Council of Doctoral Candidates and Junior Researchers

Workshop 2: Academic Freedom and Responsibility in a Changing World
- Exploring the balance between academic freedom, institutional responsibility, and societal expectations.

Amy Reid, Senior Manager of Freedom to Learn Programme, PEN America

Kirsten Roberts-Lyer, Professor and Chair of Human Rights programme, Central European University

Workshop 3: Higher Education and Public Authorities: Navigating Partnerships in Times of Crisis
- Focusing on how universities can engage with public authorities while maintaining autonomy and integrity, especially in politically sensitive or conflict-affected regions.

Tony Gallagher, Emeritus Professor of Education, Queen’s University Belfast, United Kingdom

Jack Mayerhofer, Senior Program Officer for Global Coalitions at Scholars at Risk

3:30 PM – 3:45 PM: Coffee Break

3:45 PM – 5:00 PM: Plenary Session: Democratizing Knowledge – The Role of Faculty, Researchers, and the Public

How accessible is the knowledge universities develop to society? This session explores open science, public scholarship, and faculty engagement in civic life.

Moderator: Paul Pribbenow, President, Augsburg University, Minneapolis, USA

Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, Vice-Chancellor, University of Ghana; IAU Board Member

Peter Aronsson, Rector, Linnaeus University, Sweden

Paola Mattei, Professor of Public Policy and Social Sciences, University of Milano, Italy

Beatriz Rahmer Pavez, Deputy Director, Office for Social and Public Innovation, University of Chile

5:00 PM - 5:30 PM: Closing Remarks and Day 1 Wrap-Up

Marie-Anne Persoons, Chair of the Council of Europe Steering Committee on Education (CDEDU)

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM: Musical Performance by the Faculty of Education and Networking Reception

DAY 2 - WEDNESDAY, 4 JUNE 2025

9:00AM - 10:15 AM: Plenary Session: Universities as Civic Anchors – Local and Regional Perspectives

How can universities deepen their engagement with local communities and serve as democratic institutions at a time of political and social polarization?

Moderator: Byron White, Associate Provost for Urban Research and Community Engagement at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA

Verity Firth, Vice-President Societal Impact, Equity and Engagement at the University of New South Wales (UNSW); Chair, Engagement Australia; former NSW Minister for Education and Training (2008 – 2011), Australia

Syndia A. Nazario-Cardona, Associate Vice President of Government Affairs & Institutional Relations, Ana G. Mendez University, Puerto Rico

Ninoslav Skucanec Schmidt, Executive Director, Institute for the Development of Education, Croatia

10:15 AM - 10:45 AM: Coffee Break

10:45 AM – 10:55 AM: Remarks from the Director General: "Mobilising Higher Education for Solidarity: A European Perspective"

Václav Velčovský, Director General, Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports of the Czech Republic

10:55 AM - 11:30 AM: Synthesis Session: Reports from Workshops and Emerging Insights

Rapporteurs from each workshop present key findings and recommendations for action.

General Rapporteur:

Heather Campbell, Professor and Director of School of Community and Regional Planning, University of British Columbia, Canada

11:30 AM-12:30 PM: Summative Policy Panel: Higher Education and Democracy – Where Do We Go from Here?

This closing discussion will bring together key stakeholders to outline next steps and commitments to strengthening higher education’s democratic mission globally.

Moderator: Dawn Whitehead, Vice President, Office of Global Citizenship for Campus, Community, and Careers, American Association of Colleges & Universities; Steering Committee of the International Consortium for Higher Education, Civic Responsibility, and Democracy, USA

Yadira Pinilla, Department for Human Development, Education and Employment, Organization of American States

Villano Qiriazi, Head of Education Department, Council of Europe

Hilligje van’t Land, Secretary General, International Association of Universities

Radka Wildová, Director General for Higher Education, Science and Research, Czech Republic; General Education and Pedagogy Scientific Coordinator, Charles University

12:30-1:00 PM: Closing of the Conference

Acknowledgements and appreciation

1:00 PM: End of Conference