The two-day conference focused on current developments, challenges and opportunities at the interface between academic education and a globally connected professional world. Two other topics that are currently the subject of intense debate all over Europe were also addressed: the concept of responsible internationalisation and the European Commission's Global Gateway Initiative.
Numerous national and international experts from higher education institutions, administration, politics, business and society spoke at the conference. The keynotes by Luna Levay, Koen Nomden and Filip van Depoele provided strong impetus and opened the floor for in-depth discussions in the subsequent panel discussions and small group formats. A diverse workshop programme promoted exchange and cooperative approaches to solutions, with both strategic issues and practical examples from everyday life at higher education institutions being discussed in depth.
This year's higher education conference emphasised the importance of exchange on an equal footing between higher education institutions and the world of work, the diverse opportunities offered by mobility at both personal and institutional level, the high value of cooperation with countries in Europe and outside Europe and its future development, and the need for open and resilient science. Higher education institutions were described not only as drivers of innovation but also as essential places where international perspectives are anchored, social developments are reflected and global challenges become visible.
Participants made intensive use of the conference for networking, exchange with colleagues and the development of new ideas. The aim was to provide impetus for a sustainable, globally connected higher education landscape and to further strengthen the dialogue between science and practice. The OeAD would like to thank all contributors and participants for their contribution to an inspiring and successful Higher Education Conference 2025.
Detailed documentation, including the presentations from the individual sessions, is available on this website.
Accompanying magazine ‘Global Connections’
The OeAD magazine ‘Global Connections’ was published to accompany the conference, offering in-depth articles, interviews and analyses on the main topics of the higher education conference:
www.oead.at/globalconnections
OeAD press release: Higher education and the changing world of work: OeAD higher education conference discussed trends in a globally connected future
