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Dear EAIR Members,

It is a great honour and joy to greet you for the first time as the new President of EAIR. Since its foundation in 1979, EAIR has grown into a vibrant international community where researchers, practitioners, and policymakers come together to connect research, policy, and practice in higher education.

I would like to thank you, our members, for your continued engagement and contributions — you are at the heart of EAIR. I also want to warmly thank the members of the Executive Committee for their tireless work, and I look forward to being in close contact with them as we continue to guide and strengthen our association together.

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Strengthening trust between higher

education and society
Higher education institutions have a symbiotic relationship with the societies they serve, be they local or global. In recent years, this relationship has encountered challenges on both sides (Berman & Paradeise, 2016). Major global concerns, armed conflicts, disinformation campaigns, all compound to erode the notion of truth and the precedence of facts and increasingly question the worth in and of higher education. The allure of simple answers to complex questions serves to undermine trust in and legitimacy of academia at large.

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By Mark O’Hara

The last two days have been spent at the GET-AHED Conference in the Clean Technology Centre at Munster Technological University in Cork, Ireland. GET-AHED stands for Green Education and Transition: A Higher Education online Digital buddy. The conference was the culmination of two years of collaborative work involving a number of European HEIs.

The 47th Annual Forum of the European Higher Education Society (EAIR) successfully convened from 27th to 29th August 2025 at Utrecht University. Under the theme, “Openness: a Mission Challenged,” the event brought together scholars, practitioners, and leaders to critically examine the pressures facing open systems in academia.

Authors who submitted a proposal to the EAIR Forum 2025 are cordially invited to submit their proposal as a contribution to the seventh book volume that will be published in July 2026. The theme of the book will be in line with the theme of the forum: “Openness: a Mission Challenged”.

Book chapter proposals can be sent by e-mail to our volume Editor-in-Chief Jannica Budde ([email protected]) before September 12th, 2025. For the book chapter proposal, the initial abstract proposal to EAIR will suffice. Be aware that the editorial team will have to be selective about the chapters that will be included in the volume, and that all chapters will be peer reviewed. Authors will be notified about the decision of the editorial team at the end of September.

We are pleased to announce that registrations are now open for the 47th EAIR – The European Higher Education Society Forum, taking place from 27–29 August 2025 at Utrecht University, Netherlands. The tentative programme for the Forum is now available, allowing you to start planning your trip, booking tickets, and organizing your schedules. This year’s Annual Forum will feature in-depth discussions on higher education policy, management, and research, bringing together leading scholars, policymakers, and professionals from across the world.

The European Higher Education Society (EAIR) proudly announces its 2025 Annual Forum, set to take place at Utrecht University. Under the timely theme “Openness: a Mission Challenged,” the conference will convene global leaders in higher education to explore the resilience and adaptability of universities amid evolving global pressures.

The EAIR Executive Committee held its yearly meeting at Utrecht University from 21st to 22nd November 2024. This was the first physical gathering following the (re-)election of committee members earlier this year. The meeting served as an important milestone, with the main goal being to visit the conference premises, engage with the local organizing team, and finalize the next steps for the upcoming EAIR Forum.

The EAIR (European Association for Institutional Research) Cork Forum 2024 took place from the 21st to the 23rd of August at University College Cork (UCC), Ireland, bringing together academics, researchers, and professionals from across the globe to discuss the latest trends and challenges in higher education.

Book chapter proposals can be sent by e-mail to our volume Editor-in-Chief Jessica Nooij ([email protected]) before September 6th, 2024.