IAUP celebrates 60th anniversary, discusses educational innovation in AI era
Education leaders vow to cope with AI-driven environment
The International Association of University Presidents (IAUP) marked its 60th anniversary at its Semi-Annual Meeting at The Westin Josun hotel in Seoul from Oct. 13 to 15, bringing together university leaders and education experts from around the world to discuss the future of higher education amid rapid technological and social change.
Opening the conference, IAUP President Shawn Chen emphasized the organization’s enduring mission to foster global dialogue among higher education leaders. He highlighted the association’s unique role as a network connecting university leadership with business innovators across continents to advance shared goals of collaboration, innovation and academic excellence.
“For six decades, the IAUP has stood as the only global organization dedicated exclusively to university presidents and rectors, providing an unparalleled platform for leadership dialogue, international cooperation and education innovation,” Chen said.
“The diamond anniversary is not merely a celebration of time, but a tribute to the enduring impact of our collective vision — a world connected through higher education.”
Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin stressed that universities are now required to fulfill more diversified roles to address various new challenges.
“In this era of AI (artificial intelligence) and digital innovation, universities must go beyond the simple transmission of knowledge to create new value and nurture global talent capable of addressing humanity’s shared challenges,” Choi said in his video remarks for the three-day event.
“Korea is already leading these transformations through educational innovation, preparing future generations to thrive in a rapidly changing world.”
Lee Sang-kyun, a board chair of Shinil Educational Foundation, stressed the importance of universities’ continuous efforts to adapt rapidly to changes in educational environments. The foundation is an administrative operator of Seoul Cyber University.
“The IAUP’s dedication ensures that this is not merely a celebration of the past, but a beacon for the future of higher education in an age of rapid change,” he said.
Arturo Cherbowski, Secretary-General of Santander Group in Mexico, called for an immediate change to counter challenges faced by universities across the world during his keynote speech. Santander Group is the world’s 14th-largest multinational financial services company and is based in Santander, Spain.
“It is the responsibility of the leadership here today to speak with truths even if those truths hurt. It is very appropriate for me as a banker to talk about this. (Universities) don’t have enough money,” Cherbowski said.
“(They say) the budget is not enough. The way the endowment works is not enough. Tuition is not enough. (The situation) of private schools are not so different. It’s outrageous.”
He added that the premium for obtaining a college degree is also being diminished.
“People with university degrees now earn significantly less, relative to those without degrees, than they did 20 years ago,” he pointed out.
Cherbowski also claimed universities are facing added challenges from the political arena and the job market.
“You should think about the onslaught coming from outside universities against universities. The attack on the institutions is happening in the U.S. by the populist government. We have to transform the way that we operate because the pandemic was just a warning sign,” he said.
“Now, labor markets are completely changing, so lifelong education is now a real thing. Largest transnational corporations in every segment now have plans to cut about 30 percent of their labor force in the next three to four years. It is dramatic. We are in crisis and we should start talking about the truth of the crisis and how universities should face it.”
This article was originally published by The Korea Times. You can read the original version here: https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/lifestyle/people-events/20251017/iaup-celebrates-60th-anniversary-discusses-educational-innovation-in-ai-era
