The early 21st century marked a new phase of glo­ba­li­sa­ti­on in higher education, cha­rac­te­ri­sed by market-oriented reforms, inten­si­fi­ed inter­na­tio­nal com­pe­ti­ti­on and growing insti­tu­tio­nal autonomy under incre­a­sing budgetary pressure. Universities expanded their global reach, mobility increased, and new technologies—including arti­fi­ci­al intelligence—reshaped teaching, research and gover­nan­ce. At the same time, global rankings and notions of “excel­lence” rein­forced com­pe­ti­ti­ve dynamics within and across national systems.

Today, this glo­ba­li­sed model is under strain. Shifting geo­po­li­tics, the reas­ser­ti­on of national interests, and debates over academic freedom, values and societal roles are rede­fi­ning the position of uni­ver­si­ties. Tensions between inter­na­tio­nal col­la­bo­ra­ti­on and re-natio­na­li­sa­ti­on, alongside con­tro­ver­sies around diversity, inclusion, political enga­ge­ment and public accoun­ta­bi­li­ty, place higher education insti­tu­ti­ons at the centre of wider economic, social and cultural fault lines.

The theme of the 2026 CHER con­fe­rence invites reflec­tion on the changing role of uni­ver­si­ties in this context. Are higher education insti­tu­ti­ons drivers of economic, cultural and political change, or are they incre­a­sing­ly cons­trai­ned to imple­men­ting external agendas? The con­fe­rence welcomes theo­re­ti­cal and empirical con­tri­bu­ti­ons examining uni­ver­si­ties’ agency across education, research, inno­va­ti­on, gover­nan­ce and inter­na­tio­na­li­sa­ti­on, from mul­ti­di­sci­pli­na­ry perspectives.

Submission of proposals is open until 28 February 2026