The Diplomat
Barcelona will become this week the world capital of higher education with the celebration, from today until May 20, of the World Higher Education Week and, from May 18 to 20, of the UNESCO World Higher Education Conference.
The two events have been organized by the Global University Network for Innovation (GUNi), chaired and coordinated by the Catalan Association of Public Universities (ACUP), and have the direct support of the Government of Spain, the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Barcelona City Council and the Diputació de Barcelona.
During Global Higher Education Week 2022, several national and international institutions will organize a series of events throughout Barcelona to discuss the future of higher education and university policy. Participating institutions include the Union for the Mediterranean, the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), Menéndez Pelayo University, Times Higher Education magazine, La Caixa Foundation, several international university networks, the Ministry of Universities, the Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona City Council, ACUP and the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE).
In addition, Barcelona will host the third UNESCO World Higher Education Conference (WHEC2022), a world reference event that will bring together nearly 2,000 people in face-to-face format and nearly 8,000 people in virtual format.
The first World Conference on Higher Education was held in 1998 in Paris and the current 2022 edition is the first to be organized outside UNESCO headquarters. On this occasion, Barcelona will bring together senior representatives of governments from around the world, rectors of universities worldwide, heads of international university networks, students, institutions, NGOs and companies, as well as other experts in higher education.
The objective of WHEC2022 is to rethink the ideas and practices of higher education to ensure the sustainable development of the planet and humanity. Through the collective construction of the multiple actors represented, the Conference seeks to become a global conversation fueled by diverse narratives on higher education. Within the framework of WHEC2022, UNESCO will present the roadmap that will guide the university sector over the next ten years to make it a key player in the face of today’s socio-health challenges and crises. WHEC2022 is directly supported by the Government of Spain, the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Barcelona City Council and the Diputació de Barcelona. It is organized by UNESCO, in collaboration with GUNi and ACUP as local strategic partners.
