The 2020 EHEA Rome Ministerial Conference took place online on Thursday, the 19th of November 2020. The main objective of the conference was to strengthen cooperation and collaboration between EHEA and the rest of the world in order to build a brighter future in Higher Education and reach the 2030 vision of the United Nations. The EHEA (European Higher Education Area) compiles the motivation and will of 49 countries to work together by following a committed plan to constantly reform higher education on the basis of shared values and principles.

I had the pleasure of being invited as a speaker in the global panel discussion that took place on the afternoon of the conference. The panel was moderated by Eva Egron-Polak, the former Secretary General of the International Association of Universities. The other participants of the panel were: Sarah Anyang Agbor, Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology of the African Union Commission, Leonie Nagarajan, who is the Director of the Education Department in the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), Jamie Merisotis, President/CEO of the Lumina Foundation in the USA and Carlos A. Romero Rostagno, who is the Responsible for Higher Education in the Ministry of Education and Culture in Uruguay.

All the participants started off with an initial statement regarding the overarching theme “Moving forward to 2030 with a specific emphasis on why global dialogue, especially in terms of policy is needed”. Following the introductory statements, a conversation took place surrounding a series of key questions, among which was the importance of higher education institutions in reaching the SDGs - not limited to the 4th SDG, with emphasis on their most valuable contributions. Furthermore, the way we can build quality mobility for students, staff and researchers in the age of Covid-19 was also a topic of interest, along with thinking of who the EHEA’s key interlocutors to strengthen global dialogue should be. However, social issues were also discussed as the social dimension of the current crisis was brought up, and its effects on students and teachers; as well as ethical concerns. Following a constructive and fruitful discussion surrounding these questions among others, each participant concluded with concrete suggestions to the EHEA ministers and coordinating bodies about how an efficient global dialogue can be maintained.

According to the participants, a successful global dialogue needs to be inclusive, equitable, sustainable, monitored and of course, purposeful. The fact that every member of the panel comes from a different background, represents a different stakeholder in higher education and comes from a different geographical area gave the panel a lot of diversity and richness in opinions and input. It was a pleasure to take part in, and I hope that we truly can undertake and maintain a global dialogue going forward, for the sake of the flourishing of higher education, despite all challenges.

For more information on the EHEA Ministerial Conference 2020, follow this link.

Morocco, Marrakesh, 22 November 2020