Social responsibility
For 30 years, the EAIE has been committed to creating an ecosystem where fresh ideas and best practices around international education can flourish, striving to make it sustainable and equitable in the process. As our community grows, we aim to lead by example and support international education professionals as best we can, so they, in turn, can enable students to become global citizens and enrich the society in which they choose to live and work.
At the EAIE, our values drive us to play our part in contributing to a sustainable future for generations to come. Today, the impact of our community’s work extends beyond the walls of higher education institutions to the choices that we make. For several years now, we have been working consciously to create a sustainable EAIE ecosystem, driven by our sense of social responsibility. Together with the community, we aim to pave the way for positive change, leaving a lasting impact on our sector and the world around us.
We support
To show our commitment we are pledging to support three of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 4 Quality Education, SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production and SDG 13 Climate Action. We also champion inspiring initiatives and organisations that strive to make a difference as well as recognise the value of giving back to our local community through volunteering activities.
SDG Accord
We are proud signatories of the SDG Accord, which is the higher education sector’s response to the Global Goals. It celebrates and advances the critical role that education has in delivering the SDGs and the value it brings to society at large.
CANIE Accord
We also were one of the first signatories of the CANIE Accord, which signifies the shared commitment of the international education sector to align with scientific recommendations and worldwide climate agreements.
Communities in need
War, conflict and natural disasters can cause immense human suffering and destruction and the EAIE supports initiatives and charities that help and provide aid to affected communities such as the war in Ukraine and the earthquake on the Turkish-Syrian border.
Local charities
The EAIE Office staff is dedicated to creating a more sustainable ecosystem within the Association by helping out the local community in various volunteering capacities – be it weeding at a local park or cooking at a soup kitchen or organising a clothes swap.
Steps to make the EAIE Conference more sustainable
Sustainable internationalisation and advocacy
Education is the key that is at the base of the SDGs, and this is also our mission at the EAIE. Education helps reduce inequalities, fosters intercultural understanding and aids conflict resolution. Advocating for equitable education and demonstrating the positive impact of internationalisation is one of our strategic objectives. Here are is what we do to keep the discussion top of mind:
- The International Student Mobility Charter: the EAIE led a working group of international higher education associations that developed a charter advocating international students’ rights. The Charter calls for institutions, regions and governments to facilitate mobility and seek to guarantee that international students feel protected when studying abroad.
- Nelson Mandela Bay Global Dialogue Declaration: the EAIE, along with 23 other organisations, signed this declaration and agreed to actively work to make internationalisation more inclusive, more collaborative, equitable and ethical. It is an acknowledgement of what Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu call Ubuntu: “I am who I am because of you”.
- Knowledge platform on international higher education and best practices: resources such as the EAIE Blog and EAIE Forum are instrumental in disseminating ideas, new policies, practices and experiences from the realm of internationalisation in Europe and beyond.
