Access for All

A call to remove the financial, social and geographic barriers that still keep talented people out of higher education.

The third edition centred on the principle of the Official Declaration that higher education is a right, not a privilege. Events covered first-generation students, learners with disabilities, refugees and rural communities.

Barriers rarely come alone. A student may face tuition costs, a long journey, caring duties and a language barrier at the same time. The edition invited institutions to look at the whole path to and through higher education: outreach in schools, transparent admission, scholarships, flexible study, guidance and recognition of what people learned before. It also reminded universities that inclusion is measured by who completes a degree, not only by who is admitted.

How institutions marked the day

Institutions, student unions and organisations around the world marked the day on campus, online or in a hybrid form, on 19 June or in the days around it. Events held for this theme included:

• Outreach visits where students present their institution to secondary schools in underserved areas
• A panel with first-generation students, students with disabilities and refugee students
• A scholarship and financial aid information day
• A campus accessibility walk with students who use wheelchairs, screen readers or other assistive tools
• A multilingual welcome session for newcomers and international students

Official IHED Agenda

The IHED central organising team held the official event of this edition: a full day of seminars, sessions, conversations and celebration, in person at the host institution and online for participants everywhere. The agenda of the day:

• 09:00 Doors open, registration and coffee in the foyer
• 09:45 Opening ceremony by the host institution and the IHED organising team
• 10:15 Keynote: Higher education is a right, not a privilege
• 11:15 Break in the foyer and networking
• 11:45 Panel: Removing the barriers that remain
• 13:00 Lunch
• 14:00 Parallel seminars, in person and online
• 15:30 Workshop: Mapping the student journey from application to graduation
• 16:45 Fireside conversation with students, alumni and the host institution
• 17:30 Celebration: reception and cultural programme
• 18:30 Closing remarks and announcement of the next host

Tell the IHED organising team about your event

Did your institution mark the day with an event? Tell the IHED organising team. Use the registration form on this website and add your institution, the date, the format (on site, online or hybrid) and a short description, so that your event can be listed. The team reviews every submission and publishes approved events on the Events page. Questions? Write to the team through the contact page.