Event title: “Higher Education’s Value Proposition for Inclusive Futures for All” side event of the Second World Summit for Social Development 2025
Date: Wednesday, 5 November, 8:00 EDT
Modality: Virtual side event over Zoom
Registration: The event has ended. WATCH THE RECORDING HERE.
Organizers:
- University College Dublin
- Government of Ireland SDG Champions Program
- SDG Academy at UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)
Co-Organizers including:
- United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI)
- UNESCO
- United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)
- International Science Council
Description:
The "Higher Education’s Value Proposition for Inclusive Futures for All" side event built on the outcomes of the Global Higher Education Symposium (GHES) convened at United Nations Headquarters during the High-Level Political Forum in July 2025. The event was organized by UN Academic Impact along with partners.
Higher Education has an evolving role as a trusted and transformative societal actor in advancing just and inclusive sustainable development, and to activate new ways of addressing the societal challenges of our time. The session outlined how higher education and upskilling could serve as bridges across the knowledge-policy-science interfaces.
The solutions showcased included:
- The Digital Education Transformation Hub for Africa
- The Dubai Declaration on Open Educational Resources (OER): digital public goods and emerging technologies for equitable and inclusive access to knowledge
- International Science Council - Flipping the Science Model: A Roadmap to Science Missions for Sustainability
- UNITAR and UNESCO initiative “Leaders in Higher Education Alliance and Program – For Accelerating Sustainability Transformations” (LEAP-FAST)
Moderator:
Dr. Judy Kuriansky, UN Representative of the International Association of Applied Psychology and Advisor to the Mission of Sierra Leone to the UN
Featured Speakers:
Mr. Timothy Sam, Head of Partnership and Delivery Team Lead Ministry of Information and Civic Education, Sierra Leone
H.E. Jamal bin Huwaireb, Cultural Advisor to the Government of Dubai, CEO of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF). Board member at Dubai Media Incorporated and vice-chairman of the National Curriculum Development Committee (Statement read by Dr. Patrick Paul Walsh)
Dr. Katrin Kohl, Co-Chair of the UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education towards Sustainability at York University, Canada. Focal Point for SDG 4 (Quality Education) within the Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development Global Cluster, led by the International Association of Universities
Mr. Russell Daisey, Composer, Songwriter, Performer, and Producer
Ms. Zeever Zahra Baqar, UN Policy Representative for the International Association of Applied Psychology and founder of the Baqar Foundation
Dr. Megha Sud, Senior Science Officer at the International Science Council
Dr. Patrick Paul Walsh, Sustainable Development Solutions Network
Dr. Yash Tadimalla, Global Focal Point for the United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth (UNMGCY) Science-Policy Interface, Computing Innovation (CI) Fellow at the Computing Research Association (CRA)
Dr. Aiman J. Albarakati, Associate Professor at Majmaah University and Director of CIFAL Saudi Arabia, affiliated with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)
Ms. Jayashri Wyatt, Chief, Education Outreach Section, UN Department of Global Communications
"Higher Education’s Value Proposition for Inclusive Futures for All" side event