​ The future of global higher education will be determined in İstanbul

International higher education ranking institution THE's “Global Sustainable Development Congress” will be hosted by Türkiye for the first time on June 16- 19

More than 5000 international representatives from 110 countries will attend the congress organized in cooperation with the Council of Higher Education and THE

The congress will focus on critical issues such as climate change, socio-economic equality, health, energy and education

World Universities 2025 Impact Ranking results will be announced at the congress

11.06.2025

International higher education ranking institution Times Higher Education's (THE) “Global Sustainable Development Congress 2025” will be hosted by Türkiye for the first time on June 16-19.

More than 5000 international representatives from 110 countries will attend the congress, which will be held at the İstanbul Congress Center in cooperation with the Council of Higher Education and THE.

The congress, which will be held for the fourth time this year, will discuss how the 17 different sustainable development goals set by the United Nations (UN) are implemented by higher education institutions, examples of good practices, exchange of experiences and possible collaborations.

The congress, where important developments in the field of global sustainability and higher education will be evaluated, will focus on critical issues such as climate change, socio-economic equality, sustainability and artificial intelligence, sustainable campuses, health, energy and education, the role of universities in achieving sustainable development goals, and the economics of sustainable development.

At the congress, distinguished representatives from government agencies, universities, industry sector and non-governmental organizations will present solutions to shape a sustainable future with innovative projects and strategies.

The results of the 2025 Impact Rankings of world universities will also be announced at the congress.

The congress, which will make an important contribution to the promotion of Turkish higher education institutions in the international arena, will also include a “Turkish Universities Pavilion” for the Council of Higher Education and Turkish higher education institutions. In the pavilion, universities will open stands and introduce their educational opportunities.

The opening speech of the congress will be delivered by Erol Özvar, President of the Council of Higher Education.

Some of the presenters and presentation topics are as follows:

Phil Baty (THE Global Director): “The Future of THE Impact Rankings and New Age Strategies”

Maria Neira (Director, Environment, Climate Change and Health Division, World Health Organization): “The Impact of Climate Change on Public Health and Urgent Measures”

Esa Al Bastaki (President of Dubai University): “Sustainable and Green Campus Infrastructure Development in the United Arab Emirates”

Shafika Isaacs: (UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization): “Artificial Intelligence and Digital Literacy in Collaboration with UNESCO and UNDP”

Mike Berners-Lee (Lancester University): “Groundbreaking Insights on the Importance of Systemic Change in Combating Metacrisis”

Yannis Pitsiladis (Hong Kong Baptist University): “Lifelong Health and Performance from the Perspective of Genetics and Movement Science”.

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