Common statement at international higher education summit

What is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on higher education and what lies ahead for internationalisation and student mobility? Nine organisations in the field of education and exchange issued a common statement.
Illustratie van werelden verbinden

Nuffic has sister organisations in many countries that, like Nuffic, are involved in internationalisation and international cooperation in education. Last week, nine of these organisations came together to look ahead. Following their meeting, the leaders of these organisations released a common statement on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and what lies ahead for international education and student mobility.

The 2021 International Education Leadership Summit brought together representatives of international education organisations from Canada, Germany, Finland, France, Italy, Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Netherlands. The meeting quickly revealed that they share common values and endorse the importance of international cooperation in addressing global challenges.

Our new director Titia Bredée highlighted Nuffic's priorities in the various education sectors and our focus on themes such as sustainability and inclusion. There is a lot of overlap in the ambitions of the sister organisations, especially in the field of global goals and inclusion.

What’s ahead

The discussions focused on the theme: What's Ahead: Building a more Equitable, Sustainable, Peaceful World through International Exchange in a Post-Pandemic World. Following the summit, the group released a statement in support of international education and mobility.

Each participating organisation has also published an essay on what lies ahead in international education from their national perspectives. From knowledge diplomacy (Canada) to student welfare (Finland), from science to ethics (Germany), 'the global digital divide' and international academic cooperation (Norway).

Read the common statement and all about the ambitions for internationalisation in the different countries: 2021 International Education Leadership Summit

International Higher Education Summit 2021

These organisations took part in the international higher education summit:

  1. Canada: Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE)
  2. Finland: Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI)
  3. France: Campus France
  4. Germany: German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
  5. Italy: Uni-Italia
  6. The Netherlands: Nuffic
  7. Norway: Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills
  8. The United Kingdom: British Council
  9. The United States: Institute of International Education (IIE)