At the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), we believe equity, diversity and inclusion in higher education is a shared challenge in both regions, and we are committed to promote exchange of knowledge, good practices, and conduct policy dialogues on the topic.
As part of our efforts to advance this mission, we proudly joined the Advisory Board of the World Access to Higher Education Network (WAHEN)—the first global network focused on addressing inequalities in access and success in higher education across the world. Global thought leaders and key stakeholders on access, equity, and success in higher education gathered in Oxford, United Kingdom on 9-10 December 2024 to kickstart the Network’s impactful work. We are honoured and excited to contribute to the Network’s work under the framework of the 10th ASEF Regional Conference on Higher Education (ARC10) Project, which focuses part of its work on equity, access, and success.
This two-day event was organised by the National Education Opportunities Network (NEON) with the support of University of West London, The Saville Foundation, and Lumina Foundation. It established the foundations of WAHEN through the inaugural meeting of its Advisory Board followed by the Network’s official launch.
Check out some highlights below!
Delegates reflected on the current global challenges and shifts in the area of access, equity, and success in higher education. This was followed by an inspiring session with students who won the Magna Charta Observatory’s 2024 Essay Competition.
The WAHEN Advisory Board had its first meeting, where the body discussed short-term plans and the long-term vision for the Network. Strategic priorities and activities for next year was also tackled, which includes a proposed Asia-Europe Policy Dialogue that ASEF will co-organise with the Network.
Delegates were welcomed to Ruskin College, Oxford where the hybrid back-to-back launch events took place, coinciding with the annual Human Rights Day.
The morning sessions focused on two topics:
- Equitable access and success in higher education in the United Kingdom which featured panelists from Northern Ireland, Scotland, and England
- Importance of equitable access and success to policymakers, where members of the WAHEN Advisory Board such as the World Bank, SEAMEO Regional Centre on Higher Education and Development (RIHED), and Institute for the Development of Education, Croatia, shared their experience and expertise
In the afternoon, the UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC) launched its “Right to Higher Education” report. This session, facilitated by IESALC’s Right to Higher Education Lead Dr Emma Harden-Wolfson, highlighted that despite progress made globally in terms of enrolment and completion rates, inequities and gaps remain to be addressed. The report, based on 15 case studies around the globe, gave key recommendations on reaching for the right to higher education. This includes shifting the cost of higher education from students, improving accountability and efficiency through data and reporting, and harnessing digital technologies.
Finally, WAHEN was officially launched through a panel chaired by its head convenor and Director of NEON, Prof Graeme ATHERTON. Representatives from University of California, Berkeley, The Saville Foundation, Equity Practitioners in Higher Education Australasia (EPHEA), and The Kresge Foundation shared their thoughts on higher education access and equity and how their respective institutions will work with WAHEN in this area.
WAHEN’s official website is also up and running! It features an Equity Hub, which stores and categorises practices across the world relevant to access, equity, and success.
The website also has an Equity Map that shows policies around the globe—the ASEM National Equity Policies in Higher Education produced under the ARC8 edition forms a core part of this section.
We warmly congratulate all the organisations who worked together for this groundbreaking endeavour to ignite a global movement for access, equity, and success!