Launching of Academics Across Borders (AAB) Initiative: Opportunities and Options

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1 ED/HED/ICE/05/AAB/2 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Organisation des Nations Unies pour l'éducation, la science et la culture Launching of Academics Across Borders (AAB) Initiative: Opportunities and Options 21 to 23 November 2005, UNESCO Headquarters, Paris The Academics Across Borders (AAB) Initiative is being launched following the UNESCO Approved Programme and Budget for the biennium, which foresees the Initiative as another step to reinforce academic solidarity globally (Doc.32C/5, Major Programme 1 Education, Programme 1.2. Building Learning Societies, Subprogramme Education and Globalization, Main Line of Action 2 Using global networks in support of Education for All -EFA). The idea of launching AAB emerged from the debates of the World Conference on Higher Education (WCHE), convened by UNESCO in 1998, which stressed the unprecedented role of higher education in modern, knowledge-based societies and economies, while emphasizing the growing gap between industrially developed countries and developing countries in higher-level training and research. Higher education in these countries, which has known a process of serious deterioration and decline over the last few decades, risks marginalization and exclusion in an increasingly globalized world. The 2 nd Meeting of Higher Education Partners (WCHE + 5) convened by UNESCO on June 2003 to take stock of post-wche developments, supported the idea of launching AAB to offset the negative effects of globalization on higher education and to assure a more balanced distribution of the benefits of internationalization for higher education in the developing countries. The Academics Across Borders Initiative is complementary to the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs programme and brings with it a broadening of partnerships to strengthen universities in developing countries. An important impact of globalization is that it has opened opportunities for higher education to harness resources and channel them across borders for reinforcing university capacity. One such opportunity is cultural diversity in higher education, as there is greater demand for graduates to work in multi-cultural situations. Many universities systematically recruit staff and students from various regions and promote cross-border research in order to enrich teaching and research programmes. Another such advantage is shared capacity building. Universities in developed and developing countries alike have strengths and weaknesses, although those in developing countries have more weaknesses. However, change and improvements are imminent, thanks to advances in information technology and a renewed drive to improve higher education worldwide. Although globalization has brought new privileges to higher education, such privileges also come at added costs, and so the benefits will go to those who are able to pay for them.

2 Recognizing the limitations of many developing countries in this new era for knowledgesharing, UNESCO has introduced the Academics Across Border Initiative as a strategy to attract various resources for university capacity-building in developing countries, particularly those reforming their higher education systems and those emerging from crisis. There are also new disciplines arising from the global agenda, and science and technology capacity has been persistently weak in many countries. There is growing concern for the migration of academics from the South to the North. This comes as no surprise, as sustainable development cannot be achieved solely on the remittances from migrant populations, although such remittances are significant to the economy. According to Natal University in South Africa, brain drain in Africa is costing about US$4 billion yearly. In 2002, more than 500 Jamaican teachers went to the UK, not to mention the hundreds of nurses who emigrate both to the UK and to Canada. UNDP estimates that India loses about US$2 billion per year because of emigration among computer experts. The loss to countries in both human and financial resources undermines plans to accelerate sustainable development. The impact is felt in all areas of development. To combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic, Botswana is recruiting from India and Cuba to replace its own health workers who have migrated. The emigration of experts weakens educational institutions and, in particular, universities. Such areas as science and technology and advanced engineering lag far behind the industrialized countries. Developing countries find themselves in a chicken and egg situation: they cannot eradicate poverty without their experts and they cannot retain their experts if they cannot pay comparable salaries. ILO rightly points out that countries cannot stop migration. The individual will always seek greener pastures and countries needing experts will always buy them. It is therefore necessary to find strategies for home countries to benefit, notwithstanding the migration of their experts. Perspectives of AAB The Academics Across Borders Initiative is rooted in the principles and goals set by WCHE (1998) for change and development in higher education for the twenty-first century. Therefore, it will promote and support: - broadening access and securing the development of higher education as a key factor of sustainable development, a public good and a human right; - renewal and reform of systems and institutions with a view to enhance quality, relevance and efficiency through closer links to society, notably to the world of work; HIV/AIDS pandemic and cultural diversity; - international cooperation and partnership by reinforcing academic solidarity globally, thus maximizing the impact of available human and financial resources; - capacity-building to attain the development agenda set by EFA, the Millennium Development Declaration and Education for Sustainable Development; 2

3 - mobilization of resources, both public and private, in keeping with the increased demands placed on higher education by society as a whole and by all stakeholders; UNESCO is launching its Academics Across Borders Initiative as another response to challenges of capacity-building in higher education institutions, in particular universities. In doing this, UNESCO will learn from the experience of such programmes as TOKTEN, implemented by UNDP. The Academics Across Borders Initiative is sufficiently limited in scope, yet broad enough to accommodate various types of cross border activities, depending on the needs of the institutions and the modalities for cooperation. The Academics Across Borders Initiative is not limited to the examples indicated below. It is expected that more countries and regions will opt to enter into creative partnerships. Nonetheless, the following categories of partnerships will form part of this initial phase: 1. Academic solidarity through inter-university sharing across regions (i) (ii) Africa-Asia dialogue for Basic Education Development. This multi-partner project started as a follow-up to the Third Conference on African Development that was held in Japan and sponsored primarily by the Japanese Government. It aims to build a strong Africa-Asia Partnership to build research capacity in higher education institutions, improve or strengthen partnerships between academia and the public ministries and promote a self-reliant approach to development, a concept that underpins the AU perspectives for African development. Africa-Europe dialogue beginning with the UK Higher Education Advancement Partnership. The potential benefits of this partnership will be explored during the meeting. It is expected that by the end of the meeting, universities will have identified: a) possible areas of partnerships and the various forms of partnerships; b) the main inputs for a strategic framework and a future plan of action; c) the role of UNESCO in the partnership; d) the countries and universities that should be considered in the first phase. (iii) Special partnerships for countries emerging from crisis. The objective is the creation o of a critical mass of expertise for capacity building. The first activity is the establishment of a centre of excellence in mathematics and theoretical physics at Birzeit University in the Palestine Autonomous Territory, in cooperation with PEACE (Palestine/European/American Cooperation in Education). The proposal has been drafted in preparation for negotiation with agencies. 3

4 2. Volunteers from among retired Professors who have distinguished themselves in their respective fields The objective is to harness and channel additional human resources for development of higher education through an approach calling upon volunteers. High profile researchers, academics and industrialists form a reservoir of expertise that can contribute to the work of universities in developing countries. Many of these valued individuals are themselves from developing countries and would be willing to contribute to their countries, but they have long lost contact with them. UNESCO will enable a volunteer service of retired professors who have distinguished themselves in their respective fields. Within this context, professors will be able to give shortterm voluntary service to build capacity in selected universities. Academics in the diasporas are of special interest in this aspect of AAB as they will be able to return to give service in their countries of origin. This partnership will be of particular importance to countries rebuilding their higher education systems. To finance this venture UNESCO will collaborate with TOKTEN and help to mobilize sponsorships from various sources, including the private sector. 3. Sharing in selected higher education management activities Countries have different measures and mechanisms to ensure that Higher education continues to be relevant to their societies and efficiently managed, with special attention to access and quality. There may be university councils, government offices, independent bodies, etc. AAB will encourage sharing of these experiences between developing and developed countries. For example, if there is an evaluation of higher education programmes in the UK, then Tanzania and Uganda could be invited to participate in the process. This would be an important way of sharing experiences and building capacity. 4. Across-border research activities among promising young academics Many Universities can already identify young academics who will become outstanding in their chosen fields. Partnerships in research activities between young academics in developed and developing countries could result in many innovations with potential for development. The Launching of Academics Across Borders The Launching of the Academics Across Borders Initiative is scheduled for 21 to 23 November The meeting which will be conducted in English and French, will be organized into the four sessions, in addition to the opening session and the conclusions. 1. Opening session 2. Africa -Asia Dialogue 3. Africa-Europe Dialogue - starting with Africa-UK cooperation 4. Progress on cross-border cooperation with Iraq and Palestine 5. Selected relevant initiatives in cross-border sharing in higher education 6. Conclusion and the way forward 4

5 Participants The participants are expected to be rectors and vice-rectors of universities, presidents of the higher education associations and representatives of agencies. Expected outcomes of the Meeting 1. Institutionalization of AAB as a strategy for advancing inter-university cooperation for building capacity in higher education, thus contributing to an enabling environment for sustainable human development. 2. Better understanding of the Africa-Asia Dialogue and its expected achievements. 3. Outline of the processes for the foreseeable cooperation between African and UK universities suggestions for a wider cooperation with Europe. 4. Options and processes for internationalizing university approaches to ensure efficiency. and effectiveness Working Languages English and French 5