On 11 and 12 October, the European University Association (EUA) attended the annual in-person meeting of the Global University Associations Forum (GUAF) in Beijing, hosted by the China Association of Higher Education (CAHE), the 2024 chair of GUAF.

GUAF, which was established in 2021, 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, CAHE, the Association of African Universities (AAU), the Association of Arab Universities (AArU), the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), 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).

At the 2024 meeting, participants shared information and experiences around a number of themes, including digitalisation and the future of education. A joint report is currently being developed on this topic by GUAF, with the aim of providing an overview of the state of play in the different regions around digitalisation in higher education.  Also on the agenda was recognition of qualifications, following the joint position statement issued by eight members of GUAF in April 2024, on the implementation of the UNESCO Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications Concerning Higher Education.  In addition, members had thematic discussions on academic career assessment, graduate skills and competences, and STEAM education.

In 2025, AIU will take over as chair of GUAF, and will host the annual meeting in New Delhi.