Remarks on Access to Higher Education in International Law

Access to higher education is a universal and complex obligation, an ‘open-ended’ fundamental norm that requires the enactment of legislation, the implementation of judicial and administrative measures, and the adoption of financial, technical, educational, promotional and social measures. At a time dramatically marked by attempts to undermine the credibility and integrity of international law, access to higher education must be defended and promoted, not only for its undeniable cultural value, but, above all, for its multifaceted potential. In these brief introductory remarks, we shall attempt to outline the key features of the right to higher education in contemporary international law, making it clear from the outset that this right is primarily understood as the right to access forms of advanced education without discrimination and on a meritocratic basis.