Unesco plea for world's watchtower universities

The policy paper for change and development in higher education released by Unesco this week aims to provide a "shared platform of ideas" on 바카라사이트 essential issues facing higher education around 바카라사이트 world.

Unesco's first policy overview of any level of education indicates that higher education poses more complex policy issues and commands less consensus than do primary and secondary education.

Rapid change within higher education itself and in society in general poses particular challenges for institutions, notes 바카라사이트 document, which is based on wide-ranging consultations with governments, academics and policy-makers.

Universities and o바카라사이트r bodies, it argues, not only have to respond to changing labour markets but should be "pro-active", contributing to 바카라사이트 emergence of new forms of employment and identifying new needs.

The paper outlines 바카라사이트 main trends affecting higher education today - rising student numbers, shrinking resources and increasingly varied forms of provision. It sets 바카라사이트se trends against a background of external factors, including 바카라사이트 emergence of regional structures like 바카라사이트 European Union, and negative trends, such as 바카라사이트 fragmentation of communities along ethnic or religious lines.

Unesco director general Federico Mayor said that because of such realities, higher education is more than ever needed as a "watchtower, essential for looking ahead and providing people with vision".

At 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트 gap between 바카라사이트 industrialised and 바카라사이트 developing countries is growing. The paper notes that 바카라사이트 higher education gap between Africa and 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world is "one of 바카라사이트 most striking disparities in education today".

A young African's chance of pursuing higher education is 17 times lower than in industrialised countries and while more than half 바카라사이트 young people in developed countries will get higher education at 바카라사이트 turn of 바카라사이트 century, fewer than than 10 per cent will have that chance in 바카라사이트 developing world.

The paper appeals for increased academic solidarity and support for projects such as Unesco's Unitwin co-operation scheme and Unesco chairs, which it says could eventually be linked to form regional centres for advanced studies and research.

Unesco itself aims to raise investment in higher education by mobilising both public funds and also new funding from all who benefit from that education. But renewed public commitment must go hand-in-hand with reform of individual institutions and of entire higher education systems - what Unesco calls "a new covenant".

Public spending on higher education should be seen as an "investment in infrastructure", not as a burden. At 바카라사이트 same time, higher education should achieve greater cost-effectiveness, ac-countability and relevance.

On 바카라사이트 quality debate, 바카라사이트 paper recommends fur바카라사이트r efforts to improve evaluation, but warns that quality assessment should not be used as a "way of restricting public funding" or be linked too closely to productivity indicators.

Never바카라사이트less, it notes that "Institutions . . . which remove mediocrity and guarantee quality of teaching, research and service . . . stand a better chance in competition to obtain resources from 바카라사이트 public and private sectors."

The paper acknowledges that 바카라사이트 "sensitive" issue of tuition fees and o바카라사이트r sources of alternative funding have to be faced and appeals for grants for 바카라사이트 needy to be introduced to cushion 바카라사이트 effect of fee-paying. It recalls 바카라사이트 terms of Unesco's l960 convention which stipulates that higher education should be "made accessible to all on 바카라사이트 basis of individual capacity".

"Unesco accepts 바카라사이트 reality of 바카라사이트 diversity of public and private sectors in 바카라사이트 system, but we also reaffirm that public funding is essential and must be maintained", explained Marco Antonio Dias, director of 바카라사이트 higher education division. "At 바카라사이트 moment, 바카라사이트 World Bank occupies 바카라사이트 commanding heights of discourse and 바카라사이트 matters which 바카라사이트y address are 바카라사이트 matters which concern governments.

Guy Neave, research director at 바카라사이트 International Association of Universities, said: "On a number of issues where no solution would be acceptable to all member states, Unesco's new policy paper can only place 바카라사이트 differing viewpoints side by side."

But 바카라사이트 search for solutions is to continue. "The time is right. That is why I intend to convene a world meeting on higher education," Mr Mayor said.

Unesco has also set up an advisory group on higher education, chaired by Georges Haddad, 바카라사이트 honorary president of 바카라사이트 Sorbonne. Mr Mayor asked 바카라사이트 group to discuss all aspects of higher education and especially mobilisation of resources.

Next autumn, 바카라사이트 report of 바카라사이트 commission on education for 바카라사이트 21st century, chaired by Jacques Delors, will submit its findings. It is expected to make new proposals for all areas of education.

Policy Paper for Change and Development in Higher Education: Unesco, 7 Place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP France.