Highlights of the upcoming UNESCO World Higher Education Conference 2022

The UNESCO World Higher Education Conference (WHEC2022) aims at reshaping ideas and practices in higher education to ensure sustainable development for the planet and humanity. The Conference will be held in Barcelona, Spain from 18 to 20 May 2022 and in a hybrid format with both in person and online participation.

Here are the main highlights of the upcoming Conference:

• More than 130 events organized

The WHEC2022 will bring together a wide range of stakeholders to design a roadmap for a new era of higher education. Currently, the agenda includes a diversity of events, including more than 110 round tables and Higher Education Talks. On site, the programme also includes 6 workshops organized by UNHCR and the CFIT (Chinese Funds in Trust) team, as well as 6 special sessions, including the high-level event for the Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education. Finally, the Conference will take place in the framework of “higher education week" in Barcelona, which will include side-events, informal meetings, and exhibitions (technology, innovation, good practices, arts, science, culture) to expand learning and exchange knowledge and opportunities for collaboration.

• Up to 1500 in-person participants expected

The WHEC team is expecting to welcome a broad range of relevant higher education stakeholders, such as: higher education-related intergovernmental organizations, UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks; regional organizations and development banks; country policy makers responsible for higher education; university authorities; teaching and research staff; leaders of community service programmes; students and youth organizations; the private sector; professional associations; teachers’ unions; non-governmental organizations; civil society groups; etc.

• Up to 8000 online registration spots available

Registration for virtual attendance is now available to the general public. This will allow up to 8000 people to follow the conference live. Registered spots for virtual attendees will be also disseminated by UNESCO, and UNESCO National Commissions have been allocated a set number of online registrations to be disseminated amongst diverse participants in their country. All session recordings will be available to the public and will become available on-demand following the Conference.

• More than 250 knowledge products received

We have received more than 250 diverse knowledge products from various stakeholders, including policy briefs, consultation reports, national reports, videos or even research papers. The knowledge products will be showcased in our online clearinghouse which will be accessible to our stakeholders as part of the conference database.

We look forward to welcoming all the participants, both in Barcelona and virtually!

For more information about the agenda of the conference and other logistical information, please visit the Conference website.