Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Abdul Waheed Khan, UNESCO on the occasion of the launch of the 5th Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning University of London, UK - 17 May 2007 Universities and the Millennium Development Goals

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Global trends Knowledge for development Education, knowledge societies & MDGs Contribution of universities towards achieving MDGs Re-engineering higher education ODL as an example Content Overview

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Global trends (I) Population growth Globalization Increase of global threats to peace/international security New geopolitical realities Competition for natural resources Enhanced international migration Persistence of poverty

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Global trends (II) Increase of global hazards and natural disasters Global health crises Education under stress Strident advances in science and technology Threats to cultural diversity Persistence of divides

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Global trends : Human Development Human development seems to slowly advance in all parts of the world Trends of the Human Development Index (HDI) Source: UNDP Human Development Report, 2006

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Global trends : Digital divide Access to ICTs grows steadily, but ‘digital divide’ persists. Proportion of world population with telephone subscriptions, PCs and internet connections, (Percentage) Source: The Millennium Development Goals Report 2006

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Global trends : Fighting poverty Asia leads the decline in global poverty Proportion of people living on less than $1 a day, 1990 and 2002 (Percentage ) Source: The Millennium Development Goals Report 2006

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Global trends : Development assistance Led by debt relief, official development assistance increases sharply but still falls short of targets. Official development assistance from developed countries, Source: The Millennium Development Goals Report 2006

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Global trends : Divides Knowledge Prosperity Globalization Inclusion Knowledge Divide or Digital Divide Lack of Knowledge Poverty Marginalization Exclusion

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Knowledge and development (I) Knowledge Human Capitals & Productivity Family Health & Nutrition Personal Development Societal Development Reduced Poverty Macro Economic Growth & Development

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May UNESCO’s concept of Knowledge Societies Freedom of expression Inclusiveness Diversity Empowerment Knowledge for development (II)

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Millenium Development Goals (MDGs)

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Education and knowledge societies Education as a prerequisite for creating knowledge societies Knowledge societies cannot exist without highly educated citizens and well-trained workforce More educated societies translate into higher rates of innovation, higher overall productivity and faster introduction of technology

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Potential of universities (I) Association of Universities and Colleges in Canada, 2004.

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Potential of universities (II) Importance to strengthen universities to:  Help countries train their own experts instead of relying on universities/experts abroad  Through research, generate knowledge appropriate to the country’s reality  Absorb and transform knowledge into appropriate policy and useful day-to-day practices that suit the local context and needs

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Potential of universities (III) Possible key roles:

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Role 1: Contributing to economic growth Directly contributing to economic growth by:  Influencing national productivity and international competitiveness  Training qualified and adaptable labor force  Assisting a country to access and generate new knowledge, and adapting global knowledge for local use From Aid to Global Sharing of Knowledge: Research Excellence and Commitment to Development, by William Saint, Lead Education Specialist, World Bank (Africa Region), 2004.

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Role 2: Fostering empowerment Fostering redistribution and empowerment by:  Fostering empowerment through the building of social capital  Expanding opportunities for employability, income, and social mobility From Aid to Global Sharing of Knowledge: Research Excellence and Commitment to Development, by William Saint, Lead Education Specialist, World Bank (Africa Region), 2004.

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Role 3: Strengthening education Strengthening the entire education sector by:  Training (and re-training) teachers, school principals and system managers  Fostering curriculum development and evaluation for primary and secondary education  Analyzing education performance, identifying problems, providing policy advice From Aid to Global Sharing of Knowledge: Research Excellence and Commitment to Development, by William Saint, Lead Education Specialist, World Bank (Africa Region), 2004.

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Role 4: Adapting research and technology Adapting research and technology engendering for example improved food supply and rural incomes by:  Training professionals - doctors, nurses, teachers and administrators - who will oversee and implement MDG activities  Fostering capacities in research, applied technology and community service that are essential for improving welfare levels for the excluded From Aid to Global Sharing of Knowledge: Research Excellence and Commitment to Development, by William Saint, Lead Education Specialist, World Bank (Africa Region), 2004.

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Millenium Development Goals (MDGs)

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Universities contributing to achieving MDG 1 Goal 1 Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Train professionals in all sectors linked to food security – from agriculture and aquaculture to biotechnologies and cooperatives Help understanding root causes of poverty Advise governments and other important players on the most effective ways to eradicate poverty

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Contributing to achieving MDG 2 Goal 2 Achieve universal primary education Higher education institutions as critical actors in supporting reforms to implement basic education for all Central role of teachers’ colleges in sustainable teacher training and curriculum reform Importance of universities to strengthen educational management and governance by building the capacity of principals, educational administrators, government officials and policy-makers in the education sector

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Contributing to achieving MDG 3 Goal 3 Promote gender equality and empower women Important role of universities to: Provide women with sector-specific skills and other skills such as problem solving, critical thinking and ability to communicate effectively Analyze factors influencing gender roles Help creating context-appropriate conditions that allow women and men to equally contribute to national political, economic, social and cultural development

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Contributing to achieving MDGs 4, 5 & 6 Goals 4, 5 & 6 Reduce child mortality; Improve maternal health; Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases Universities building capacity in health care by: Training doctors, nurses, community health care workers and policy-makers Providing skills in research and health needs assessments Providing relevant training in public education and disease prevention Enhancing ability of local health care workers to contribute to health policy development

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Contributing to achieving MDG 7 Goal 7 Ensure environmental sustainability Important role of universities to: Sharing expertise both in science and technology and in the social sciences and humanities Providing the basis for understanding interdisciplinary nature of environmental concerns and solutions Delivering scientific responses to environmental problems in a socially relevant manner.

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Contributing to achieving MDG 8 Goal 8 Develop a global partnership for development Important role of universities to: Creating enabling environment for strengthening governance infrastructure, judicial systems, public administration and business management Building capacity to develop sound regulatory frameworks that provide stability for private-sector development and effective management of public goods. Strengthening capacity of civil society to engage in development processes

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Re-engineering higher education (I) Historically: Higher education’s ability to change and to induce change and progress in society Today: Higher learning and research as essential components of development Traditional education systems are no longer sufficient to take up the challenges to achieve development for all Higher education needs more radical change and renewal than it has ever been required to undertake ICTs potential to re-engineer education for 21 st century

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Re-engineering higher education (II) ICT solutions for universities  Revolutionizing research and teaching  Strengthening interactivity  Promoting self-paced research, teaching and learning  Enabling greater participation and better quality of distance and open learning

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May ODL as example: Main questions Does present ODL models cater to the most marginalized? Are delivery mechanisms suitable (in the context of marginalized sectors)? Are instructional designs appropriate? Is the quality sufficiently assured? Are there appropriate assessment mechanisms? Does the same approach for all work? Or do we need to change our approach ?

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May ODL as example: Constraints

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May Re-engineering higher education (III)

Universities & MDGs :: London :: 17 May