In Memoriam: Honouring lasting legacies

This week, we announced the 2025 EAIE President’s Award winner, Dr. Allan E. Goodman, in recognition of his exceptional, decades-long commitment to advancing international education. While the EAIE Awards shine a light on current achievements, this year we also pause to remember two outstanding individuals we have lost, whose dedication and vision have made significant contributions to our sector. We honour the enduring legacies of colleagues who made a meaningful and lasting impact on our global community. Through these tributes, we reflect on their contributions and the inspiration they continue to offer.

Saskia Loer Hansen 

A respected and beloved leader whose influence spanned continents and institutions. Saskia brought unwavering passion and humanity to every role she held. From her time as Secretary-General of the ECIU (2000–2008), where she helped forge lasting collaborations across Europe, to senior leadership roles at the University of Strathclyde and Aston University, she led with vision, generosity and care. Most recently, she served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor of International Engagement and Vice-President at RMIT University in Australia, and as Interim General Director of RMIT Vietnam. Those who had the privilege of working alongside Saskia remember her not only as a strategic and inspirational leader but also as a deeply compassionate colleague who always made time for others. Saskia’s light and legacy will live on through the countless lives she touched across our global community. Our thoughts remain with her family, friends and colleagues worldwide.

Tia Loukkola

Tia Loukkola was a brilliant and deeply respected figure in European higher education. Tia served in various leadership roles at the European University Association (EUA) from 2008 to 2021, ultimately as Deputy Secretary General, before joining the OECD as Head of the Innovation and Measuring Progress Division. A tireless advocate for quality assurance, recognition, learning and teaching, Tia played a central role in European policy development, always combining rigorous analysis with warmth and integrity. She was a driving force behind the European Quality Assurance Forum and a key voice in the Bologna Process. Tia’s colleagues remember her not only for her sharp intellect and leadership but for her compassion, humour and unwavering support. Her legacy will live on in the institutions, policies and people she helped shape.

As we celebrate the remarkable contributions of this year’s EAIE President’s Award recipient, we also pause in solemn remembrance of those we have lost. It is both a privilege and a responsibility to honour excellence, dedication and impact, across the sector. We look forward to gathering as a community at the EAIE Conference and Exhibition in Gothenburg this September, where we will celebrate these achievements and pay tribute to those who helped pave the way.