2023 HESI Global Forum

17 July 2023, 10.00 AM - 01.00 PM, Conference Room 2, United Nations Headquarters, New York and virtual

The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) is a partnership between several United Nations entities and the higher education community, currently chaired by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and the Sulitest Association - a non-profit organization and online platform aimed at improving sustainability literacy for all. Other UN partners include UNESCO, UN Environment Programme, UN Global Compact’s Principles for Responsible Management Education initiative, UN University, UN-HABITAT, UNCTAD, UNITAR, UN Office for Partnerships and UN Academic Impact.

The Vision Statement by the Secretary-General on Transforming Education, “Transforming Education: an urgent political imperative for our collective future’” – the formal outcome of the Transforming Education Summit held in 2022 – notes that education is a great enabler, but today, in many cases, it is also the great divider. The Vision Statement further notes that education is in crisis and requires our immediate, mid-term and longer-term responses including a fundamental rethinking of the purpose and content of education, grounded in two principles of a new social contract for education, namely ensuring the right to quality education throughout life and strengthening education as a public endeavor and a common good.

Each year, HESI organizes a global forum as a special event to the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) – UN’s main platform for the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the global level - to highlight the critical role of higher education in achieving sustainable development. In 2023, HLPF (10-19 July 2023, New York) will be held under the theme “Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels”. It will also review in-depth Goals 6 on clean water and sanitation, 7 on affordable and clean energy, 9 on industry, innovation, and infrastructure, 11 on sustainable cities and communities, and 17 on partnerships for the Goals, and include 41 Voluntary National Reviews by member States on their implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

The HESI 2023 Global Forum, which will be held on 17 July 2023 as an in-person event at UNHQ, will place a particular focus on understanding the challenges and opportunities to accelerate the recovery from COVID-19 and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda at all levels, in line with the theme of HLPF in 2023.

The Forum aims to:

• Provide a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in higher education to accelerate the recovery from COVID-19 and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda at all levels.
• Build a higher education sector that is accessible to all and leaves no one behind.
• Highlight and boost key higher education initiatives that drive implementation of the 2030 Agenda through education, teaching, and learning - particularly around SDGs under review at HLPF (Goals 6 on clean water and sanitation, 7 on affordable and clean energy, 9 on industry, innovation, and infrastructure, 11 on sustainable cities and communities, and 17 on partnerships for the Goals,).
• Spotlight the levers of sector transformation, including cross-institutional partnerships or evolving practices in higher education quality metrics, academic publications, or increased demand for green jobs.
• Convene an evolving and action-oriented conversation on the critical role of higher education in achieving sustainable development.

Viewing parties

Universities are encouraged to organize virtual viewing parties with student participation for the Forum, hosted at their institution. Viewing parties will be promoted on the HESI website and will have the opportunity to engage with Forum panels. If you are interested in organizing a viewing party, please indicate this in your registration to the Forum and the HESI Secretariat will be in touch for more information.

Draft programme

Time	Session
10.00 AM – 10.30 AM	Opening segment
10.30 AM - 11.15 AM	High-level panel with university leaders - The role of higher education in accelerating the recovery from COVID-19 and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda at all levels
11.15 AM – 11.50 AM	Rapid presentations on levers of sector transformation – Featuring key higher education initiatives and action groups that drive implementation of the SDGs, particularly for Goals under review at HLPF in 2023
11.50 AM – 12.05 PM	HESI Partner Programme - The HESI Partner Programme connects higher education institutions, networks, and student organizations to support SDG integration into curricula, research, programmes and campus practices and facilitate transfer of knowledge.
12.05 PM – 12.50 PM	Student led panel – Harnessing the creativity, passion and innovation of students for driving implementation of the SDGs
12.50 PM – 01.00 PM	Closing

International Green Gown Awards Ceremony

HESI invites all interested participants to attend the International Green Gown Awards Ceremony, which takes place virtually at 01.30 PM on 17 July. More information and registration available at: https://www.greengownawards.org/international-awards-ceremony