The Future of the University: Global, Sustainable and Inclusive.

19th Annual Conference of the Society for Higher Education Research (GfHf) 23-25 September 2024 at the FernUniversität in Hagen

This year's annual conference of the "Gesellschaft für Hochschulforschung" (GfHf) was organised by the FernUniversität in Hagen in cooperation with the University of South Africa (UNISA), and took place both on site in Hagen, and online.

"The theme of the conference aims to encourage participants to consider the future of universities within the context of globalisation, sustainability and inclusion. This includes a critical review of how universities are currently positioning themselves in these areas. In addition, it is important not only to react to existing challenges, but also to proactively explore design options and develop visions. Universities are undoubtedly key global players in shaping an inclusive and sustainable future."

These topics not only shaped the programme, they were also reflected in the concept of the conference. The cooperation with UNISA, one of the world's largest distance-learning universities, brought a global perspective to the event. A mixture of German and English-language contributions and formats was planned, which were offered online, hybrid and on-site. Future-orientation was also practised in the formats themselves, such as in the "FutureLab", where concepts could be worked on together or visions could be developed cooperatively.

By making it possible to participate in the entire conference online, and in German and English, we also wanted to fulfil our commitment to sustainability and inclusion.

Go to impressions of the conference

Go to Call for Papers - Special Issue