UNESCO recognized access, equity and quality, as the major challenges of higher education in the world in the current context of globalization. Likewise, it encourages all higher education institutions (HEIs) to maintain their role of serving society, community and individuals, and continue to drive education as a public service. This understanding poses universal access as a precondition for its achievement.

The thematic area include programmes and initiatives that favour equality in access to higher education, i.e. that promote access for social groups traditionally excluded from higher education (HE) or with explicit difficulties; positive discrimination policies, scholarship programmes based on prioritisation criteria, policies that promote completion of studies by groups with a high drop-out risk, among other relevant issues of the item.