More than 5,000 international representatives from 110 countries are participating in the four-day congress. The

official opening speech of the congress will be made by the President of the Council of Higher Education Özvar tomorrow The

results of the 2025 Impact Ranking of world universities will be announced at the congress

June 16, 2025 / Istanbul

The “Global Sustainable Development Congress”, hosted by Türkiye in cooperation with the Council of Higher Education and the international higher education rating agency Times Higher Education (THE), has started.

More than 5,000 international representatives from 110 countries are attending the congress, which will be held at the Istanbul Congress Center on June 16-19.

In the first session of the congress, the Global Refugee Higher Education Conference organized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Higher Education Refugee Student Network (TRSN) was held. The conference, which was held with the theme “15 percent to 2030”, focused on strengthening the role of higher education in increasing the potential of refugee youth.

Conferences on various topics including the “Higher Education Council Sustainability Exhibition” session, "Promoting a sustainable research ecosystem in Türkiye: Celebrating excellence with İlim Yayma Awards“, ”Integrating sustainable development goals into higher education: Bridging academia, industry and NGOs“, ”The role of artificial intelligence in the race for a greener future“, ”Sustainability in Turkish higher education: Challenges, progress and future directions“, ”From frameworks to practice: Unlocking the potential of sustainability competencies in higher education" are taking place in the congress.

-Ranking results will be announced tomorrow-

The official opening speech of the congress will be delivered tomorrow (17.06.2025) by Erol Özvar, President of the Council of Higher Education and Phil Betty, THE Global Director.

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

The implementation methods of the 17 sustainable development goals set by the United Nations (UN) by higher education institutions, examples of good practices, exchange of experience and possible collaborations will be discussed at the congress, which was held for the fourth time this year.

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 AI, 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 congress, which will make a significant contribution to the promotion of Turkish higher education institutions in the international arena, also includes a “Turkish Universities Pavilion” for the Council of Higher Education and Turkish higher education institutions. In the pavilion, universities will promote their educational opportunities at their stands.