Global University Associations Forum holds fourth annual meeting

At the meeting, participants, including EUA President Josep M. Garrell, Secretary General Amanda Crowfoot and Director of Higher Education Policy Michael Gaebel, discussed academic, knowledge and science diplomacy, international cooperation and data sharing.

Another key point on the agenda was artificial intelligence. With GUAF partners set to publish a report on the digital transformation of higher education, their attention turned to the initial findings of a joint working group on AI and the future of learning.

Reflecting on exchanges in New Delhi, EUA President Josep M. Garrell stated that:

“As always, this year’s meeting has been an excellent opportunity to meet with our counterparts in the leadership teams of university associations across major world regions. We really appreciate the lively and open discussion about challenging topics such as how international cooperation can be impacted by today’s geopolitical landscape and how academic diplomacy can help to build bridges.”

GUAF brings together the leaders of university associations which represent major world regions (Africa, the Americas, the Arab region, Asia and Europe). The Forum is intended to strengthen relationships between the members, provide a platform for dialogue, and facilitate collaboration and joint actions where these can add value. The members of GUAF are EUA, AIU, the Association of African Universities (AAU), the Association of Arab Universities (AArU), the China Association of Higher Education (CAHE), the Latin American and Caribbean Space for Higher Education (ENLACES), the American Council on Education (ACE), Universities Canada (UC) and the ASEAN University Network (AUN).

In 2026, the Association of African Universities will take over as chair of GUAF, and will host the annual meeting in Accra, Ghana.