The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) will hold a special event of the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) on 21 July 2025. It will feature a multi-stakeholder discussion on how higher education institutions can foster sustainable, inclusive and science-based solutions which can help address challenges from the growing inequality in the higher education sector.
The HESI Global Forum aims to explore how higher education can advance data-driven, interdisciplinary approaches to advance the SDGs for in-depth review at the HLPF; highlight strategies for inclusive, equitable and responsive education systems; promote multi-stakeholder collaboration; and provide a platform for consultation on how HEIs can strengthen their contributions to sustainability through research, teaching and engagement.
The event will also introduce the HESI Partnership Framework, which aims to strengthen the coherence, visibility and impact of higher education initiatives in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Each year, the Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) organizes a global forum as a special event at the HLPF to highlight the critical role of higher education in achieving sustainable development. HESI is a partnership between several UN entities and the higher education community, currently chaired by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), UNU, UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC) and the Sulitest Association. Other UN partners include UNESCO, UN Environment Programme, UN Global Compact’s Principles for Responsible Management Education initiative, UN-HABITAT, UNCTAD, UNITAR, UN Office for Partnerships and UN Academic Impact.