The Equity Crisis – higher education access and success to 2030 (2022)
UNESCO’s Global Goal Target 4.3 states that ‘By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university.’ However, where higher education is concerned access and success is profoundly unequal across every country in the world where evidence exists and like broader inequalities in society is likely to have been exacerbated by the pandemic. As the peak of Covid 19 passes the challenge now is to use this moment to re-evaluate what policymakers and universities are doing across the world to drive forward equitable access and success in higher education. This report focuses on equitable access i.e. participation by students who are either in the minority in a particular country or come from a ‘disadvantaged majority’ who on average earn less/ experience greater social/economic challenges than a minority population. It provides an overview of the available evidence on participation in higher education amongst minority and disadvantaged majority groups before drawing upon extensive consultation undertaken with universities and others in the global higher education sector over the past year. This consultation included a global survey of 317 individuals from over 80 organisations in over 50 countries and 7 online discussion sessions delivered in partnership with a range of international organisations.
Perspectives on the challenges to access and equity in Higher Education across the world in the context of COVID. (2021).
Higher education across the world has experienced unprecedented challenges to what it does and how it does it over the past year and a half. However, while many students will emerge different, damaged or wiser some may be lost to higher education forever.
ASEM National Equity Policies in Higher Education (2021)
This report examined the approaches by governments from countries within the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) constituency to support equitable access/success in higher education for students from all social backgrounds and circumstances.
Measuring the Impact of Equity Promotion Policies (2019)
This study looked at the equity promotion policies of five countries, to establish their impact upon access to, and success within, higher education.
All Around the World – Higher education equity policies across the globe (2018)
The main aim of this study was to assess the nature and extent of policy commitments of national governments to address inequalities in access and success in higher education. The study also analyzes the equity promotion policies of relevant multilateral and regional agencies involved in providing policy advice, technical assistance and financial support. The study also helped us to develop our Global Equity Map, which continues to be regularly updated.
