The International Association of La Salle Universities (IALU) has defined the priorities that will guide the network throughout the 2026–2028 period and has laid the foundations for a new phase aimed at strengthening its capacity for collaboration, influence, and global impact, advancing its evolution towards an increasingly connected international university ecosystem capable of generating shared value. These agreements have been adopted during the IALU General Council, held at Manhattan University (New York), with representatives from the institutions that make up the network in attendance.
La Salle-URL has been represented by Josep M. Santos, General Manager of the campus and current Vice President of IALU, and by Josep M. Piqué, Commissioner for Internationalisation, who participated in the working sessions focused on defining the organisation’s new strategic cycle.
A new roadmap to strengthen the global university ecosystem
The roadmap approved by the IALU General Council establishes four major areas of action for the coming years: strengthening the network’s international influence in the fields of higher education and sustainability; fostering collaboration and connectivity among universities; developing Lasallian talent and leadership; and supporting emerging institutions across the network to reduce asymmetries and strengthen their capabilities.
These priorities will be implemented through an international action plan that will promote initiatives in areas such as artificial intelligence and humanistic education, sustainability, global academic networks, joint education and research programmes, leadership development, and institutional support mechanisms for developing universities.
The challenges shaping the future of higher education
The meeting has also included a dialogue session with the Presidents of Lasallian universities in the United States, during which some of the key challenges currently facing higher education worldwide have been discussed, including digital transformation, the rise of artificial intelligence, demographic shifts, and the need to generate an increasingly tangible impact for students and communities.
With this new strategic cycle, IALU reinforces its role as one of the leading international platforms for university collaboration and reaffirms its commitment to transformative education, capable of addressing today’s major challenges through cooperation, innovation, and Lasallian values.
