United Nations Academic Impact Initiative

Universities Australia has accepted an invitation from the United Nations to become a charter member of the United Nations Academic Impact Initiative. In doing so, Universities Australia is affirming basic principles to which Australian universities are committed.

The Initiative aims to connect universities around the world with the United Nations, and with each other, through a commitment to supporting and advancing the following ten basic principles:

• A commitment to the principles inherent in the United Nations Charter as values that education seeks to promote and help fulfil;
• A commitment to human rights, among them freedom of inquiry, opinion, and speech;
• A commitment to educational opportunity for all people regardless of gender, race, religion or ethnicity;
• A commitment to the opportunity for every interested individual to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary for the pursuit of higher education;
• A commitment to building capacity in higher education systems across the world;
• A commitment to encouraging global citizenship through education;
• A commitment to advancing peace and conflict resolution through education;
• A commitment to addressing issues of poverty through education;
• A commitment to promoting sustainability through education; and
• A commitment to promoting inter-cultural dialogue and understanding, and the “unlearning” of intolerance, through education.

Participants in this initiative are expected to undertake to further, within their institutions, policies and programs that reflect adherence to these principles.

Universities Australia is also encouraging its individual member universities to participate in the Initiative.

Should you require further information please contact the Policy & Analysis section.