The founding charter was finalised at KU Leuven in Belgium on 3 June. Humboldt-Universität was represented by Dr Yoan Vilain, Vice-Provost for International and European Affairs. Other signatories include several of HU's partner universities, among them the University of Oslo, UCLouvain, Paris Sciences et Lettres and the South African Stellenbosch University. The Global University Academy is also supported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Norwegian Refugee Council. The collaborative effort will begin with a two-year pilot phase.
The GUA initiative is inspired by Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that "higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit." It also supports the UNHCR's 15by30 target, which aims to ensure that at least 15 percent of young refugees have access to tertiary education by 2030.
A Global Course Catalogue and Skills-Based Professional Learning
The Global University Academy will develop a shared course catalogue that will enable refugees and displaced people to enrol in internationally recognised courses and work towards accredited academic qualifications. Additionally, the Academy plans to offer professionally oriented learning opportunities tailored to local labour market needs. The inaugural General Assembly also discussed inclusive governance structures, including the establishment of an advisory body made up of people with lived experience of displacement. Pilot projects and models for the Academy's long-term financial sustainability were also on the agenda.
"Academic freedom also means ensuring that everyone who is qualified has access to higher education. Through its commitment to the Global University Academy, Humboldt-Universität is taking responsibility for supporting refugees in ways that go beyond what we can achieve locally in Berlin," says Dr Yoan Vilain. HU will now begin preparing the internal structures needed to enable its academic staff to contribute to the GUA course catalogue. The university also sees potential to support the GUA in areas such as accreditation, governance and fundraising.
Supporting At-Risk Researchers and Students
Humboldt-Universität already offers a range of programmes and partnerships that help refugee students and researchers, as well as those facing persecution in their home countries, continue their academic careers. During the current academic year, for example, prospective students with refugee backgrounds are being supported in acquiring the German language skills required for admission to HU degree programmes. The support programme, which is accompanied by individual advisory services, is funded by the Berlin Senate.
Programmes that provide opportunities for at-risk students and researchers are an investment in the future of research and higher education. To sustain and expand these efforts, universities depend on additional financial support, including funding from the city Senate. Through exchanges with international partners, HU is also working to identify sustainable operational and funding models. On 18 June, for example, a university delegation took part in the opening of the Week of Hospitality, hosted by HU partner Campus Condorcet in Paris and inspired by the Berlin-Brandenburg Academic Freedom Week. The event focused on the importance of international networks and Franco-German cooperation in advancing academic freedom.