UNESCO Transforming Higher Education Report 2026

“UNESCO”

Transforming Higher Education: Global collaboration on visioning and action, UNESCO, Paris, France, 2026.

UNESCO Transforming Higher Education 2026“Higher education has long stood as a bridge between pasts and futures. Universities and other higher education institutions are places where ideas are developed, values are debated and new possibilities are imagined. Today higher education institutions have a critical role to play in responding to pressing contemporary challenges. Through research, teaching and community engagement, they can provide the critical understanding, scientific expertise and creative imagination needed to tackle complex, multi-layered issues like climate change, biodiversity loss, health crises, persistent inequalities, the devastating consequences of armed conflicts, technological disruptions, democratic backsliding, economic challenges and rapidly transforming work environments.

To maximize the transformative potential of the sector, higher education itself needs to be transformed. UNESCO convened the third World Higher Education Conference in Barcelona in 2022 as part of a once-a-decade process of multilateral policy dialogue, deliberation, peer learning and agenda-setting. Drawing from this process and further consultations, this publication is the latest iteration in collectively fashioning and realizing a forward-looking higher education agenda.

This roadmap provides insights into developments and trends; it presents a set of forward-looking guiding principles to inspire and inform the work of all involved in higher education. It also identifies Lines of Transformation that point the way a new social contract for higher education, and is a call to action to help faculty, students, leaders and stakeholders change the sector into the transformative force the world and future generations need.”

Background Information:  In 2020-21 the Center for Intercultural Dialogue held three focus groups as part of the information gathering stage of UNESCO’s Futures of Education project, preparing what we learned as a report. This new report is part of a related but separate effort. Although the Center was not involved this time, the report. is likely to be of interest to many in our community.

LSE Fellow in International Business Strategy (UK)

FellowshipsLSE Fellow in International Business Strategy, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK. Deadline: 16 April 2026.

The Department of Management at LSE seeks to appoint an outstanding candidate in the area of Management – (International Business Strategy). The department’s faculty and research strength is centred in Employment Relations and Human Resource Management, Information Systems and innovation, Managerial Economics and Strategy, Marketing, Organisational Behaviour and Operations Management. The department’s faculty members are engaged in research and scholarly activity across LSE, through research centres such as the Centre for Economic Performance, the Behavioural Research Lab, and interdisciplinary institutes. The department’s own portfolio of degrees includes the BSc Management, one-year and two-year MSc in Management, and six specialist one-year MSc programmes.

The post holder will contribute to the Department’s teaching (postgraduate and/or undergraduate) and research activities in the discipline of Management – International Business Strategy. The successful applicants will normally have completed or close to completing a PhD in the field of Management and/or International Business Strategy, by the post start date. In addition to a very good knowledge of the field of Management and/or International Business Strategy. A developing research record in well recognised peer reviewed outlets, and a clear and viable strategy for future research in the field of Management and/or International Business Strategy is essential, as is excellent communication and presentation skills.

CFP: Globalisation/Deglobalization in Languages, Education, Culture & Communication 2026 (UK)

ConferencesCall for proposals: Globalisation / Deglobalization in Languages, Education, Culture, and Communication, 28-30 July 2026, Manchester, UK. Deadline: 30 April 2026.

The past two decades have witnessed remarkable advancements in the studies into Education, Second and Foreign Languages, Translation and Interpreting, Cultural Studies, and Communication. This growth, evident in both the number of active researchers and the volume of scholarly throughput and outcomes, can be largely attributed to the forces of globalisation. Consequently, adopting the globalisation perspective is timely and provides a natural framework for connecting these diverse yet interlinked disciplines.

This conference aims to bring together researchers, educators, practitioners, and policymakers from the realms of education, foreign and second languages, cultural studies, translation, interpreting, and communication to disseminate research outcomes, share insights, discuss findings, exchange visions, and identify challenges and trends in an interactive and immersive multidisciplinary environment.

Keynote speech: “Translation, Chinese Texts, and World Literature” by Professor Yifeng Sun, University of Macau, China.

This conference, notwithstanding the dissemination of works within individual and traditional discipline specified scopes, endeavours to break the subject silos. Papers and other contributions in Education, Second and Foreign Languages, Translation and Interpreting, Cultural Studies, or Communication, as well as contributions crossing the borders of traditional disciplines or emerged from frontier research, are welcome.

The conference is organised by AT Publishing in association with its four journals namely, Research in Education Curriculum and Pedagogy: Global Perspectives (RECAP) [ISSN: 2977-1633]; New Perspectives on Languages (NPL) [ISSN: 3033-490X]; The International Journal of Chinese and English Translation & Interpreting (IJCETI) [ISSN: 2753-6149] and Recent Advances in Humanities Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) [ISSN: 2978-1345]. There is a “conference first” policy in place. Selected papers will be invited to further develop into full journal articles free of APCs. Conference proceedings will be published open access with an ISBN.

CID Poster 5: Communication as Culture Definition Translated into Spanish

CID PostersThis poster was designed by Linda J. de Wit, and published previously; it now has been translated into Spanish.

The painting is Winter Landscape with Ice Skaters, by Dutch painter Hendrick Avercamp, painted around 1608. It is on display in the Dutch national museum Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, which has made many of its paintings available online in high resolution and copyright free. The painting illustrates the quote not only because it shows social interaction, but also because ice skating is considered a typical example of Dutch culture (and recently has officially been named part of Dutch cultural heritage). The silhouettes are designs from vecteezy.com. The quote comes from the following book:

Leeds-Hurwitz, W. (1989). Communication in everyday life: A social interpretation. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.

The Spanish translation was provided by Neus Crous-Costa, and the graphic design work necessary to revise was by Yan Qiu. Here then is CID Poster 5: La comunicación como definición de cultura.

CID Poster 5 translated into SpanishJust in case anyone wants to cite this poster, the following would be the recommended format:

Center for Intercultural Dialogue. (2026). La comunicación como definición de cultura [N. Crous-Costa, trans.]. CID Posters, 5. Available from:
https://centerforinterculturaldialogue.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/cid-poster-5-communication-spanish.png

As with other series, CID Posters are available for free on the site; just click on the thumbnail to download a printable version. They may be downloaded, printed, and shared as is, without changes, without cost, so long as there is acknowledgment of the source.

As with other CID Publications, if you wish to prepare an original contribution, please send an email before starting any work to receive approval, to minimize inadvertent duplication, and to learn about technical requirements. As is the case any series, posters should be created initially in English. If you want to volunteer to translate a poster into a language in which you are fluent, send in a note before starting, to receive approval and to confirm no one else is working on the same one.

Wendy Leeds-Hurwitz
Director, Center for Intercultural Dialogue
intercult.dialogue AT gmail.com

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

U Oxford: International Relations 2026 (UK)

“JobAssociate Professor of International Relations, University of Oxford, England, UK. Deadline: 21 April 2026.

The Department of Politics and International Relations (DPIR) are seeking to appoint an Associate Professor in International Relations, in association with Nuffield College. The successful candidate will be appointed to a Professorial Fellowship at Nuffield College.

The post-holder will be expected to conduct internationally excellent research in the area of International Relations. They will also teach and supervise at the graduate and undergraduate level; contribute to graduate admissions, examining, and assessment; and contribute fully to academic administration in the DPIR and the College.

They invite applicants with a strong research background in International Relations (open search). You will also be expected to teach and supervise in the area of International Relations at both the undergraduate and graduate level, and in addition contribute to the graduate research design or methods teaching sequences in the Department. They strongly encourage applications from women and/or candidates from a BME background as they are currently under-represented in academic posts.

This post is available from 1 September 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter. This is a permanent appointment (subject to successful review during the initial period of office).

NOTE: there is a separate position available for International Relations of the Global South, with an earlier deadline, 14 April.

U Hong Kong: Assistant/Associate Professor of International Relations (Hong Kong)

“JobAssistant/Associate Professor of International Relations, University of Hong Kong,Hong Kong. Deadline: 15 April 2026.

Applications are invited for appointment as Tenure-Track Assistant Professor / Associate Professor in International Relations in the Department of Politics and Public Administration (Ref: 534578), to commence in August 2026 or at another mutually agreed time, on a three-year fixed-term basis, with the possibility of renewal and consideration for tenure before the expiry of a second three-year fixed-term contract, both subject to satisfactory performance. Exceptionally outstanding candidates at the Associate Professor level may be considered for appointment on direct tenure terms subject to the University’s approval.

The Department of Politics and Public Administration is an internationally oriented research-focused department that covers a broad range of fields in Political Science and Public Administration. The Department offers three highly successful taught postgraduate programmes – Master in International and Public Affairs (MIPA), Master of Public Administration (MPA) and Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) – as well as a thriving undergraduate programme.

Applicants should hold a Ph.D. degree and demonstrate excellence in research and teaching. The Department welcomes applications from excellent candidates who specialise in any field of International Relations and is eager to both consolidate its existing strengths and to diversify into new areas of research and teaching.

UNESCO: More than Welcome

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UNESCO. (2026). More than welcome:
Intercultural integration of migrants
in and through higher education. Paris, France: UNESCO.

More than Welcome is a new UNESCO publication developed by the Organization’s Social and Human Sciences (SHS) Sector. Against the backdrop of rising global displacement – now affecting more than 123 million people worldwide – the publication explores how higher education can help societies transform the challenge of displacement, and the consequences faced by receiving communities, into opportunities to foster more inclusive, cohesive and resilient societies grounded in intercultural integration, mutual understanding and shared belonging. (It is available open access – use the link in the header to download it.)

Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival 2026 (Canada and Online)

Events

Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival, 23 -26 April 2026: Online. 13 April 2026: In person, Montreal, Canada.

The 28th edition of the Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival will revolve around the theme: “Words for Understanding One Another”. As in past years, the Festival will be full of interviews, discussions, lectures, debates, masterclasses and more to delight our audiences. Discover all the festival has to offer below.

The Blue Metropolis Literary Festival is also a Youth Festival which takes place in April until early May. Across many libraries, schools and institutions in Montreal, there will be meet and greets, animated workshops and many more events with various children’s authors. The new Draw Me A Sun exposition will also be on display in 4 libraries across Montreal.

CFP: Family Language Policy and Processes of Marginalization

“Publication

Call for Submissions: special issue on Family Language Policy and Processes of Marginalization, for journal Social Inclusion. Abstract deadline: 15 September 2026.

Guest Editors: Giorgia Andreolli (Eurac Research); Busani Maseko (Rhodes University); and Nadja Thoma (University of Innsbruck)

Family Language Policy (FLP) has become an influential research area within different disciplines such as sociolinguistics, language policy research, childhood studies, education, and psychology. While pioneering FLP research was concerned with language ideologies and language acquisition processes typically within traditional nuclear families, more recent studies have expanded their focus to include how
language ideologies, practices, and management unfold within both traditional and non-traditional family configurations, including extended families, foster or adoptive families, and geographically dispersed families. Beyond the individual level, research has further traced FLP processes across families and explored interconnections with educational institutions and with the state. Recent publications shed light on children’s agency and perspectives in FLP and on digital practices in family communication. There is growing recognition that
FLP is deeply implicated in broader processes of marginalization and social inequality—particularly in contexts of globalization, (post)colonial language policies, minoritized language communities, and socioeconomic exclusion. Despite this recognition, the intersections between FLP and structural forms of marginalization (e.g., assimilation pressures, unequal access to resources, racialization, and socioeconomic stratification) remain under-theorized and empirically underexplored.

Building on foundational work that conceptualizes FLP as a nexus of language beliefs, practices, and management within the family domain, this Special Issue seeks to foreground the ways in which structural conditions shape—and are shaped by—the experiences of multilingual families. We invite contributions that examine FLP in relation to marginalization, language and educational policies, racialization, socioeconomic disadvantage, disability, heteronormativity, and other axes of differentiation, as well as studies that document resilience, resistance, agency, and inclusion strategies enacted by families and other social actors in diverse settings.

This Special Issue is international in scope, seeking comparative and contextually grounded research that illuminates how FLP intersects with macro-level processes of access, participation, and social justice. We welcome both empirical and conceptual contributions from a variety of epistemological and methodological approaches including (but not limited to) critical theoretical work, decolonial scholarship, and arts -based methods. By embracing diverse linguistic and cultural contexts, the Issue aims to chart new directions in FLP research that advance understanding of processes marginalization in multilingual postcolonial and post-migrant societies.

Sacramento State U: Hellenic Research Fellowships 2026-7 (USA)

Fellowships

Hellenic Research Fellowship Program, Sacramento State University Library, Sacramento, CA. Deadline: 10 April 2026.

Thanks to generous ongoing funding, the university library is pleased to offer the continuation of the Hellenic Research Fellowship Program (HRFP) for a 14th year. The HRFP, the only residential fellowship program west of the Mississippi in Hellenic studies, provides opportunities for visiting scholars and writers-in-residence to spend time in Sacramento, CA, conducting research and crafting their creative works using the resources of the Tsakopoulos Hellenic Collection. To date, nearly 50 fellows have benefitted from their residencies, which have contributed to a variety of scholarly and creative works.

The HRFP provides a limited number of fellowships in the form of reimbursement to help offset transportation and living expenses incurred in connection with the awards.