Stephen Freedman, Ph.D., provost of the University and professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Fordham, chaired a session on “Financing Equity in Access and Success,” at the International Association of Universities (IAU) 2011 International Conference, held Nairobi, Kenya, from Nov. 16 through 18. He was named a full member of the organization’s Administrative Board in 2009.
The theme of the 2011 Conference was “Strategies for Securing Equity and Success in Higher Education,” and examined the extent to which government and institutional policies and programs around the world succeed in increasing equitable access to, and success in, higher education. Freedman also attended the 76th IAU Administrative Board Meeting on Nov. 15 and16, in Nairobi.
The preamble of the IAU 2008 policy statement, “Equitable Access, Success and Quality in Higher Education,” states, in part: “A well-educated citizenry is the foundation of social equity, cohesion and successful participation in the global knowledge economy. As a result most countries have set goals to increase the share of the population with higher education and/or broaden access to higher education for individuals that are under-represented because of socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, religion, age, gender, [dis]ability or location.”
Founded fifty years ago, IAU is a global forum where higher education leaders come together to discuss, examine and take action on issues of common interest and achieve shared goals through cooperation. The organization has 605 member institutions from around the globe, representing almost every continent. IAU’s core values include academic freedom and institutional autonomy; the responsibility to respond to the needs of society; and to promote justice, freedom, respect for human rights, human dignity and solidarity.
