UNESCO Chair in Education for Pluralism, Human Rights and Democracy, University of Ulster (1999)
Purpose/Objectives of the Chair
The UNESCO Chair in Education for Pluralism, Human Rights and Democracy was established at the University of Ulster in 1999. UNESCO Director-General, Mr Koïchiro Matsuura visited the University in 2001 to mark the inauguration of the Chair and the establishment of a university research centre that concentrates on the themes of education for pluralism, human rights and democracy, in local, national and international contexts. Over the five-year period 2002-07 the centre has completed more than 30 research and development projects with funding of £5.8 million from the British Council; the Department of Education for Northern Ireland; European Union; Gordon Cook Foundation; the International Fund for Ireland; Ministry of Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina; Ministry of Education, Sri Lanka; Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum (CCEA); Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission; Nuffield Foundation; Citizenship Foundation; UK Department for International Development (DFID); UNESCO; UNICEF and The World Bank.
Chairholder Professor Alan Smith
Address: School of Education, University of Ulster, Coleraine Campus, Cromore Road, Coleraine, BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland
Email: a.smith [at] ulster.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)28 703 23 02
Fax: +44 (0)28 703 23 02
Professor Alan Smith is Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair at the University of Ulster and an Advisory Professor at the Hong Kong Institute of Education. His work includes research on education and conflict, young people's understanding of human rights and the development of social, civic and political education. He was a UK representative to the Council of Europe and a British Council visiting fellow to Nigeria and Indonesia . He has completed a report on ‘Education, Conflict and International Development’ for DFID and has been a consultant for International Alert, UNESCO, UNICEF and the World Bank in Bosnia, Nepal and Sri Lanka . His current research includes an ESRC project on teacher education and a three-year International Development programme at the University of Ulster funded by DFID.
Select Activity
- PUBLICATION: Magill C.; Smith A. and B. Hamber The Role of Education in Reconciliation. Report for EU Peace and Reconciliation Fund. Coleraine, Ulster, 2009.
- SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS: Professor Alan Smith spoke on ‘Lessons Learned from Post Conflict Investments in Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Northern Ireland ’ at USAID and the World Bank in May 2009.
- EVENT: Interactive Conference on Globalising Higher Education: Universities, International Development and Social Justice (University of Ulster, Coleraine Campus, 22-24 April 2009) Supported by DFID, Irish Aid and British Council. Speakers from governments, international agencies, aid organisations and academia from Africa, Ireland and the UK took part in the three-day conference with the keynote address delivered by Ireland ’s Minister of State for Overseas Development, Mr Peter Power, TD.
- PAPER: Professor Alan Smith presented an expert paper on children, education and reconciliation at the Children and Transitional Justice Conference held at Harvard Law School in April 2009. The paper was prepared for the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, Florence and the International Centre for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), New York as part of an Expert Paper Series on Children and Truth Commissions. The Series is intended to encourage further research and analysis on a number of key issues related to children and transitional justice. An executive summary of Professor Smith’s paper can be found here.
