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The is a partnership between several United Nations entities, including the United Nations Academic Impact, and the higher education community. For 2024-2025, the Initiative is chaired by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, UN University, UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education, and the Sulitest Association.

Each year, HESI organizes a global forum as a special event to the ¨C the UN¡¯s main platform for the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The forum highlights the critical role of higher education in achieving sustainable development.

The 2024 HESI Global Forum, under the theme "The Future of Higher Education for Sustainable Development" featured:

• Multi-stakeholder discussion on the intersection of education, innovation, and sustainability, considering the impact of AI and other emerging technologies amid the concerns about stagnant progress towards the SDGs.
• Inspiring initiatives from the UN system, HESI action groups, and beyond.

The Forum also served as a preparatory platform for upcoming initiatives to be advocated or launched at the 2024 Summit of the Future. Recommendations and strategies from the Forum inform policy and practice, shaping advocacy efforts and action plans for sustainable development in higher education.

Outcomes

• Recognition of the imperative to transform higher education to address the dynamic global landscape and unpredictable futures, while valuing local knowledge and partnerships, seizing global opportunities for innovation, and promoting sustainable and equitable development worldwide.
• Identification of areas where higher education can advance SDGs through inclusive emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, while managing related social changes.
• Expansion of the network and membership through active engagement of diverse HESI Action Groups.