Transcript UNESCO-OECD guidelines on Quality Provision in Crossborder Higher Education Drafting Meeting 2 Tokyo, Japan 14-15 October 2004 Capacity-Building: towards a coherent framework (UNESCO)

UNESCO-OECD guidelines on Quality Provision in Crossborder Higher Education
Drafting Meeting 2
Tokyo, Japan
14-15 October 2004
Capacity-Building: towards a coherent
framework
(UNESCO)
Regional frameworks within
a global context
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UNESCO’s regions
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UNESCO’s regional offices – the decentralization
policy
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UNESCO’s regional conventions: evolution
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The regional Vs. the interregional approach
Context and Outcomes
of 1st Global Forum
1st Global Forum launched as a response to ethical challenges
facing higher education in an era of globalization. Main
outcomes:

Platform for exchange for at least four years;
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Building bridges between education and trade;
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Promote research to inspire policy developments;
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Action Plan: standard-setting; capacity-building and
clearinghouse activities
First Global Forum: Action Plan
(17 – 18 October 2002)
Standard-setting activities:
 Initiate revision of conventions on the recognition of studies to respond
to new challenges: linking recognition and QA and responding to TNE
 Promote research on role of new providers in widening access to
higher education and on the concept of higher education as a public
responsibility;
 Develop guiding principles
Capacity-building:
 Develop regional and national frameworks for quality assurance;
 Informed decision-making for stakeholders in the education process
Clearinghouse:
 Develop information tools for students;
 Study Abroad data-base and publications;
 Other data-bases to promote empowerment of learners, parents,
employers;
2nd Global Forum:
Context

1st Global Forum: higher education and
commercialization/GATS – UNESCO conventions
on the recognition of qualifications as educational
agreements to promote international standards;
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2nd Global Forum Widening Access to Quality
Higher Education: for minorities, ICT-assisted;
lifelong learning
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2nd Global Forum particular focus: capacity-building;
WHY CAPACITY BUILDING?
As determined by its Medium-Term Strategy, UNESCO has 5 basic
functions:
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a laboratory of ideas
a standard setter
a clearinghouse
a capacity-builder in Member States
a catalyst for international cooperation
Capacity-building for quality assurance and qualifications
recognition: towards strengthening national higher education
frameworks as elements of sustainable societal development
The way ahead:
TOWARS A ‘QUALITY CULTURE’
A great diversity but some converging elements:
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A new emerging concern for quality assurance explicit in all
Member States, both OECD and UNESCO;
A resistance to change;
Lack of human, institutional and financial resources;
Change of mentalities: towards a “quality culture” / “une
logique de la qualite”
Confusion with terms (Anglo-Saxon dominated?)
However, a sense of urgency to move forward…
Common elements
Prerequisites for efficient capacity-building
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To be part of wider HE reforms;
To have support from the government;
To be independent from the government;
To involve other relevant stakeholders at national level: HEIs,
academic staff and students;
To address issues of new providers;
Private providers, ODL and cross-border HE;
To be part of long-term processes to assure sustainability;
To have adequate funding to assure impact
CAPACITY-BUILDING
MECHANISMS
Based on inputs from the 2nd Global Forum:

Standard-setting instruments to sustain capacity-building:
(a) Revised conventions as regional frameworks to promote
capacity building in QA and QR;
(b) Regional offices and their role as Secretariats to the
convention committees and regional networking;
(b) UNESCO/OECD guidelines for quality in cross-border
higher education as an international framework for building
capacity in cross-border QA and QR
CAPACITY-BUILDING
MECHANISMS
Based on inputs from the 2nd Global Forum:
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Clearing-house activities to build capacity:
(a) informational tools for students – developing quality literacy
(b) knowledge base for decision makers in distance education
in Africa, Asia and the Pacific and the CIS and Baltic States
(c) Study Abroad publication and database on courses and
study opportunities;
CAPACITY-BUILDING
EXAMPLES: Asia and the Pacific
Several examples of capacity-building exercises currently
underway:
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Asia and the Pacific: 20 major QA efforts operating in 15
countries: variance and diversity in level of development;
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Actors: Asia Pacific Quality Network (APQN); Association of
South East Asian Nations (ASEAN); ASEAN University Netork
(AUN)
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World Bank: regional initiative:
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UNESCO – Beijing workshop; 2005 Regional Committee
Meeting in China
CAPACITY-BUILDING
EXAMPLES: Arab States
Several examples of capacity-building exercises currently
underway:
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UNDP Regional Bureau for the Arab States : 2 million dollar
project : assessment of Computer Science and Business
Administration programs and curricula in 30 universities in 14
Arab States;
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Association of Arab Universities: Training workshop in Amman,
Jordan, December 2004;
CAPACITY-BUILDING
EXAMPLES: Mediterranean
And South-East Europe
TEMPUS MEDA project;
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EvQualif – September 2003 – September 2005
HEIs Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and Syria
and France and Germany
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RecQualif – April 2004 – April 2005
Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia; France, Italy, Netherlands,
Slovenia: establishment of information network on QA and QR
South East Europe
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UNESCO – CEPES, EUA with EU funding:
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Governance and Management in South East Europe
CAPACITY-BUILDING
EXAMPLES: AFRICA
Regional Partners
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AAU, Accra Workshop; Cape Town General Conference;
SADC; FAPED; NEPAD; ADEA
UNESCO Offices Dakar and Harare;
Arusha Convention;
International partners:
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UNESCO, IIEP, INQAAHE, COL, World Bank
CAPACITY-BUILDING
EXAMPLES: UNESCO’s Role
UNESCO’s role:
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Coordinating different activities into a coherent framework
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Fund-raising with donors:
EU TEMPUS MEDA; ERASMUS-Mundus;
UNDP; World Bank;
Bilateral donors and funding agenciesBilateral donors and
development agencies (SIDA, CIDA, NORAD, JFIT?)