UK UNESCO Chairholders Participate in World Conference on Higher Education
UNESCO’s four-day World Conference on Higher Education, held in Paris on 5-8 July, gathered 1,200 delegates from 150 countries to debate current and future issues in higher education. Over the four-day event, panel and roundtable discussions addressed the challenges of social responsibility, access, equity and quality, internationalisation, regionalisation and globalisation, and learning, research and innovation, with a particular focus on Africa.
The World Conference closed with the unanimous adoption of a communiqué, which included acknowledgement of higher education as a ‘public good’ and a call on countries to increase investment in the sector.
In his closing remarks, UNESCO’s Director-General, Mr Matsuura, noted: “The communiqué recognises the strategic role of higher education by calling on governments to devote sufficient resources to this sector while also encouraging diversification. This is crucial, and all the more so as we navigate through the economic crisis. Higher education systems must be expanded and strengthened to provide learning opportunities to all students regardless of their background”.
UK UNESCO Chairholders, together with other representatives from the UK higher education sector, were well represented at the Conference, contributing to the various sessions, panels and roundtables as chairs, panellists, discussants and rapporteurs. In particular, Professor David Francis - UNESCO Chair in African Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Bradford - was a panelist at the Round Table on The Social Responsibility of Higher Education; Professor W. John Morgan – UNESCO Chair in The Political Economy of Education, University of Nottingham - chaired a session on Entrepreneurship Education; Professor Richard Mawditt – UNESCO Chair in Higher Education Management, University of Bath - was a speaker at a session on The Quality Imperatives in Higher Education; and Professor Jagdish Gundara - UNESCO Chair in Intercultural Studies and Teacher Education, Institute of Education – was a discussant at a session on The Role of Research Networks for the Promotion of Rights and Values in Education.
The Conference debated a range of key issues facing the global higher education sector including: regional higher education and research areas; cross border higher education and student and institutional mobility; the growth of private higher education; quality assurance; equity, access and retention; ICTs including open education resources (OER); research and innovation systems; and gender equity.
The World Conference on Higher Education was an important contribution towards international co-operation in higher education and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The extent and quality of the United Kingdom’s contribution demonstrated also the importance of the UNITWIN UNESCO Chairs programme in UK higher education."
Professor Morgan, Vice-Chair of the UK National Commission for UNESCO
Calls for reinforced cooperation and strong partnerships - including public-private partnerships and South-South partnerships – were repeatedly stressed in multiple sessions. Sessions also underscored the importance of flexibility and innovation with a clear recognition that there is no 'one size fits all' approach to Higher Education provision.
Click here for a copy of the final communiqué.
Click here for further information on the World Conference.
Written: 09/07/2009 , last modified: 09/07/2009
UK UNESCO Chairholders Participate in World Conference on Higher Education