Sustainability and Resilience: Can Education Deliver? | Report from the first day of 20CCEM

Patricia Scotland presenting at 20CCEM

Dr Joanna Newman, ACU Chief Executive and Secretary General, is attending the Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers Meeting (20CCEM) in Nadi, Fiji, alongside an ACU delegation of 15 university leaders and distinguished scholars.

Commonwealth education ministers meet every three years, to discuss key education issues, identify areas for action, and share knowledge and good practice. 20CCEM will shape the priorities for higher education in the Commonwealth for the next three years, and members of the ACU delegation are on the ground to represent the interests of the wider membership to Commonwealth governments, giving a voice to universities from both developed and developing countries.

Role of the ACU

The ACU has worked closely with the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Government of Fiji in the lead up to the event to define the higher education content of the ministerial meeting, and designed the higher education programme for the Integrated Partners' Forum which runs in parallel to the main conference.

Conference agenda – key sessions

On Tuesday, the ACU will lead a special session with ministers from the Commonwealth's small states on universities, climate change and resilience.

The ACU will coordinate a session on Thursday which will encourage education ministers to expand the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan, to offer young people across the world more study abroad opportunities.

Members of the ACU delegation will also speak at two of the ministerial roundtables, one on education for climate change, and another on education governance and management.

On Friday, the ACU will coordinate a session for ministers on higher education and the future of employment.