HESI Global Forum 2025 - Breaking Barriers in Sustainable Development Through Scientific, Inclusive, and Equitable Solutions
Mon 21 Jul 2025, 7.00 amRelated
Background
The High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) will take place from 14 to 23 July 2025, under the auspices of ECOSOC, held under the theme of “Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals for leaving no one behind”. The 2025 HLPF will conduct in-depth reviews of SDG 3 (Health and well-being), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Economic Growth and Decent Work), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
As the world approaches 2030, the role of higher education institutions in advancing sustainable, inclusive, and science-based solutions has never been more critical. Yet, growing inequality in the sector pose significant challenges, including limited access for marginalized populations, geographical imbalance in sustainability research, the exclusion of indigenous/local knowledge from scientific frameworks and data biases in AI, to name a few. With only five years remaining until 2030, breaking down these barriers in higher education is essential to ensuring a just and sustainable future for all.
The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) is a partnership between several United Nations entities and the higher education community. For 2024-2025, the Initiative is chaired by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, UN University, UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education, and the Sulitest Association.
Each year, HESI organizes a global forum as a special event to the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) – the UN’s main platform for the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The forum highlights the critical role of higher education in achieving sustainable development.
The 2025 HESI Global Forum will bring together academia, policymakers, students, private sector representatives, and international organizations to discuss how higher education can catalyze science-driven solutions for sustainable development, addressing these critical gaps and reinforcing a more equitable higher education landscape in research, innovation and education. The Forum will also provide space to introduce the new collaborative HESI Partnership Framework, reinforcing academia’s role in policy engagement, cross-sectoral collaboration, and knowledge-sharing for sustainability.
Objectives
- Explore how universities and research institutions can advance data-driven, interdisciplinary approaches to address the SDGs under review.
- Highlight strategies to ensure that education systems are inclusive, equitable, and responsive to the needs of marginalized communities.
- Promote collaboration between academia, governments, industry, and civil society, with a focus on South-South and triangular cooperation.
- Recognize the role of students, educators, and researchers in accelerating sustainable development through education, policy engagement, and advocacy.
- Provide a platform for structured consultation on how higher education institutions can strengthen their contributions to sustainability through research, teaching, and engagement.
Concept and programme
Outcome
The Forum will mark the formal start of engagement on the HESI Partnership Framework, providing a collaborative structure through which action groups, universities, and partners can coordinate efforts, share results, and scale innovative practices. This engagement will aim to strengthen the coherence, visibility, and impact of higher education initiatives in support of the 2030 Agenda.
