60’ to convince:
HIGHER EDUCATION
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Georges Haddad
Winsome Gordon
Stamenka Uvalic-Trumbic
Higher Education and the
Global Agenda
“…at
no time in human history did the welfare
(or poverty) of nations depend in such a
direct manner on the quality and outreach of
higher education systems and institutions”.

1998 World Declaration on Higher
Education: global vision of the sector for the
21st century

Growing recognition of the role of HE in
achieving goals of the global agenda: EFA,
MDGs, sustainable development
Higher Education Division
Follow-up to World Conference on Higher Education
Modalities for
Follow-up to
WCHE
Standards and
Quality
Globalization and
Sustainable
Development for
Higher Education
International
Cooperation for
Higher Education
Teacher Education
UNESCO/ILO
recommendations
International Cooperation in Higher Education
(ICE)
Resource
mobilization
IESALC
focal point
Reports
UNESCO
Chairs
UNITWIN
Programme
AAB
UNESCO
Networks
UNITWIN Portal
Inter-continental
Cooperation
University
Volunteers
Mission Statement
International Cooperation in Higher Education
(ICE) has at its core the realization of UNESCO
function, in all its domains, as a laboratory of ideas and
as a catalyst for international cooperation –
complementing and giving leadership to know-how for
social and economic development that underpins peace,
human rights and democracy, equity and livelihoods.
Thus ICE endeavours to meet emerging challenges in an
era of globalization by promoting the use of new
information technologies to build capacity and increase
knowledge to advance the cause of sustainable
development.
Quantitative Achievements
UNITWIN Programme
 Historically, there are 564 Chairs
and 62 Networks in 124 countries
 75 New Chairs and 3 Networks
established between 2004 and 2005
 340 Chairs and 25 networks
reporting from 96 countries
UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks
DISTRIBUTION BY FIELD
UNESCO Chairs
UNITWIN Networks
12
102
94
61
46
6
37
4
Social and
Human
Sciences
Natural
Sciences
Education
Culture
Communication
and
Information
2
Social and
Natural Sciences
Human Sciences
1
Education
Culture
Communication
and Information
Qualitative Achievements
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Transfer of high-level
know –how – e.g The
UNESCO-Cousteau
Ecotechnie network
Introduction of
programme that might
have been left out – e.g
Chairs in peace, human
rights and democracy,
inclusive education
Innovations - Chairs in
engineering sciences;
disaster preparedness,
biodiversity informatics

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Responding to
development needs, e.g
Chair on water Resources in
Sudan; sustainable
development,women, science
and technology in Africa, Arab
States and Latin America,
Understanding of cultural
diversity e.g –network in
Afro-Iberoamerican studies in
Spain
Permitting immediate
response to changing
needs e.g – Chairs in
HIV/AIDS; EFA, urban
planning and youth
development
Academics Across Borders Initiative –
Focus on developing countries
To
 Improve intellectual and research capacity
of UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs programme
 Improve performance of universities in the
areas of research and programme development
leading to the establishment of centres of
excellence
 Open access to university courses across
borders with possibilities for adaptation to local
use
 Inter-continental dialogue/co-operation
International cooperation in
higher education – a catalyst
for change
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Integrating higher education in the global agenda
Linkages between universities and development
ministries
Training personnel in development paradigmgraduates with a new vision
Joint degree programmes
Building research capacity and technological knowhow –also linked to industries
Creating more resourceful and pro-active
institutions
UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY AND EFA
Learning Behaviour &
Human Values:
Quality Education:
Identity building :
-Training programme content
-Human Rights
-Arts
-Culture
-Multiculturalism
-Spirituality
-Educational materials
-Ethical Behaviour
-Philosophy
EFA
UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY
Sustaining improvements:
Improve learning environment:
-Systems renewal
-Evaluation
-Reform and innovation
-Health (physical and mental)
-Education for sustainable development
-Water sciences
-Renewable energy
Quality reinforcement:
-Use of technology
-Technical support and co-operation with ministries/practicians
-Research and feedback
Achieving Self Reliance Reflected
in Africa-Asia Dialogue
Avoiding donor
dependency
Priority to
human
resource
development
Ownership of
development
processes
Promoting
cross-border
activities
Self -reliance
Visionary
and
proactive
approaches
Ownership of
Policies and
development
strategies
The issues: why does quality
matter?
Massification/Growing Demand/Declining budgets

1975-2000: growth from 22% - 41% adults with HE (OECD);
threshold of 100 million students soon to be crossed.
China/India doubled enrollments in past 10 years;
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demand for HE has continued to grow and that the estimate
of 40-50% enrolment rates were needed with a view to
development. In some countries, e.g. in sub-Saharan Africa
5% (UNESCO, 2003);
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Growth of cross-border higher education: corporate
universities, franchises, branch campuses, ICT enhanced
CBHE (ODL, virtual universities, eLearning, Open
Educational Resources)
Facing the Challenges in Higher
Education: UNESCO response

The Global Forum on International Quality Assurance,
Accreditation and the Recognition of Qualifications:
new dimensions in quality assurance and qualifications
recognition (2002;2004)

Position Paper on HE and Globalization (2004)

The 6 regional conventions on the recognition of
qualifications as the only legal instrument in HE ratified
by over 100 Member States;

The UNESCO/OECD Guidelines on Quality Provision
in Cross-Border Higher Education
WHY THE GUIDELINES?

Universities as drivers of
economic growth;

The growing market - Trade
in Higher Education and
GATS;

Need to provide an
EDUCATIONAL response to
maximize opportunities,
minimize risks

Hence, the UNESCO/OECD
Guidelines: focus on quality
and learners’ protection
Cooperation with Institutes:
IIEP, IESALC, IICBA,
CEPES
International Institute for Educational Planning
1. Methodological and organisational options
in external QA systems : Africa 2006officials in MoEs and EQA agencies
2. Cross-Cutting Theme Project - Higher
Education Open and Distance Learning
(ODL) Knowledge Base: Evaluation
Cooperation with Institutes: IIEP,
IESALC, IICBA, CEPES

IESALC: qualifications recognition and
quality assurance in Latin America and the
Caribbean

IICBA: Capacity-Building in Teacher
Education
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CEPES: External Dimension of the Bologna
Process
Voices from the field

Revitalizing HE in Africa

A message from Asia and the Pacific
Revitalizing HE in Africa
www.harare.unesco.org
Creating
a Common Higher
Education Space for Africa
Launching
a Network for
Quality Assurance with the
Association of African
Universities
From
Gain
Brain Drain to Brain
Partnerships:Hewlett Packard
Brain Drain-Brain Gain
South
East Europe (2003) 7
universities in Albania, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Croatia, the FYR of
Macedonia and Serbia and
Montenegro
Africa
(2006): identifying partner
universities in countries like Senegal,
Zimbabwe, Tanzania and others
Partnerships:
SIDA (Swedish International Development
Cooperation Agency)
UNESCO Forum on Higher Education, Research and
Knowledge
Intersectoral project funded by SIDA and launched in 2001
Forum objectives
Reaffirm
importance of research
Stimulate, facilitate, promote & identify
Disseminate & publish
Bridge research and policy
Strengthen conditions for H.E. innovation
Facilitate arenas for critical debate - broaden
discourse space
Forum Structure Organisational chart
Focus Regional Committees
2006
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Africa:The Role of HE in National Education
Systems
LAC:Knowledge and Needs of the Society
AP: National Knowledge Systems
Arab: Globalisation of HE and Scientific
Research and Funding of HE and Research
ENA: Globalization Knowledge – European and
North America Region’s and Policies Addressing
the Relationship to Regions
IF YOU WANT TO LEARN
MORE…
We invite you
to an Open House on
5 April, 3-6 p.m.- Offices: 4101, 4115, 4094
&
to an Open Afternoon
at the UNESCO Forum Workshop on
Comparative Analysis of National Research
Systems'
7 April 2006, 2.30-6 pm, Room XIII, Bonvin