It's not too late to act

Action drives change – and the most recent event we took part in [1] underlined our conviction that the evidence we are gathering through The world beyond 2015 [2] campaign does matter and can produce results with lasting impact.

Our seminar on ‘The role of higher education institutions for the Sustainable Development Goals and the Post-2015 Development Agenda’ (hosted by the Global University Network for Innovation [3] (GUNi) in Barcelona in December) highlighted the extent to which collective action and interdependency are key in shaping the development agenda of the next decades.

The higher education sector must work together to make a difference. At the launch event of the UN Secretary General’s long-awaited synthesis report on the Post-2015 development agendas [4], it was pointed out that, despite an overall agreement that higher education should have a prominent role, only a limited number of contributions articulating this have been made to the UN Open Working Group on the Sustainable Development Goals. More collective action is needed to produce the changes and outcomes we and many others are hoping for.

It's not too late to act

‘As individuals and as institutions, we all can and should tap into our higher education networks to join the discourse on the Post-2015 development framework [5]’, the ACU’s Patrice Ajai-Ajagbe urges, emphasising that now is the time to raise the profile of higher education as an agent of change, development and collaboration for the world beyond 2015.

This is why, a few weeks into 2015, we are busy planning for the future. While we look back at a fruitful year of campaigning, with contributions reaching us from all over the world in a variety of forms, we still want to hear from as many of you as possible before we present our findings at the Conference for Commonwealth Education Ministers [6] (CCEM) in June.

So what can you do?

The more views and opinions we receive, the more evidence we will have to present to ministers, increasing the impact we can have on the development framework.

You have until 31 March 2015 to send us your thoughts on one (or more) of our six questions [7] to ensure that your institution, organisation and country is represented in our final briefing paper for ministers.

See our map below to check if views from your country will be represented at the CCEM. If not, you can make this happen by sending through a submission [8] now.

Latest submissions

[9]	Is higher education ready? [10] by Mandla Makhanya, UNISA, South Africa A principal and vice-chancellor debates what 'making a difference' really means for the higher education sector.	[11]	From technical expertise to empowerment [12] by Emily Hayter, Canon Collins Trust, UK An expert in the field reflects on how secondary education is not ‘enough’ for the developing world.
[13]	Sustainable education: a case study of environmental residentials in Norfolk [14] by Rebecca L. Farnum, UK A PhD student gives an account of the role of universities in education and mentorship with schools.	[15]	Co-existence or no-existence: promoting tolerance in Pakistan’s society [16] by Asif A. Malik, COMSATS, Pakistan An assistant registrar reflects on how higher education can contribute in reducing intolerance within societies.
[17]	Funding university education – a look at Nigeria [18] by Shina Olayiwola, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria A lecturer reflects on performance-based funding for Nigerian universities.	[19]	The world beyond 2015: is higher education ready for developing countries? [20] by Saima Eman, University of Sheffield, UK A PhD Commonwealth Scholar on the core question: is higher education ready for developing countries?
[21]	Pakistani universities: awarding degrees or building minds? [22] by Asif A. Malik, COMSATS, Pakistan A university administrator argues that personal development should play a significant role in higher education institutions.	[23]	Partnerships globalise research outputs – linguistic fieldwork in Africa [24] by Jenny Mackay, CAPREx, University of Cambridge, UK A fellowship coordinator highlights the impact of university partnerships through a case study in Africa.

The world beyond 2015 – Is higher education ready? [25] campaign is run by The Association of Commonwealth Universities [26] (ACU): Woburn House, 20-24 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HF, United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0)20 7380 6700 \| Email: [email protected] [27]
The ACU is registered in England and Wales as a charity, number 314137. Her Majesty The Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, is Patron. © The Association of Commonwealth Universities

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