UNITWIN/UNESCO CHAIRS 18.04.2005 14:47 Print version

UNESCO believes that there is a necessity of international cooperation and international assistance for to turn back the process of the fall down and collapse of the educational institutions of higher education in developing countries, especially in the least developed. In accordance with this the decision to start a UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme as an international plan of actions aimed to reinforce higher education in developing countries with the help of special mechanisms of stimulating inter-university cooperation was accepted on the 26^th session of UNESCO General Conference in 1991.

UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme is meant for the developing of university net and other forms of cooperation of institutions of higher education on the international, regional, and sub-regional levels. This programme is the main mechanism of UNESCO that assists in international cooperation in the sphere of higher education. The use of distance education as a tool to help inter-university cooperation is encouraged by this program. In this process UNESCO is the catalyst for interested institutions, associations and organizations.

UNITWIN/UNESCO CHAIRS PROGRAMME

The character and purposes of the Programme are meant for the development of university net and other forms of cooperation of institutions of higher education on the international, regional and sub-regional levels. Stable liaisons and other forms of cooperation proved on practice their importance as effective means of institutional development, co-use of resources and exchange of technical knowledge, experience, personnel and students. The Programme is based on the spirit of academic solidarity that is necessary for activating the process aimed to develop stable liaisons among scientific and research institutions and institutions of higher education all over the world. Special importance is given to creation of these liaisons in the institutions of higher education in the developing counties (South-South Cooperation), the importance of which was underestimated in the past.

Though this Programme is mainly aimed to support higher education in the developing countries and countries of Central and Eastern Europe it also emphasizes research. Namely at this level it is necessary to have international liaisons because the differences between education systems and educational institutions in developing and industrial countries are significant. That is why this Programme pays special attention to strategies and mechanisms of fast and effective knowledge sharing and effective adaptation of this knowledge in specific conditions. This is also necessary for satisfying the own needs of the developing countries, as well as the needs of their systems of higher education. One of the main aims is also to soften the effect of "brain drain" from developing countries.

UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme is the main mechanism of organization which helps to support international cooperation in the sphere of higher education. Having its own specific program of development UNITWIN UNESCO Chairs Programme is based on the enormous experience in international cooperation in the sphere of higher education and academic mobility. Thus, it coordinates the inter-university cooperation in the way so it could assist in meeting the needs of the developing countries. It also tries to unify as many partners as possible to achieve the defined goals and set up liaisons with other similar organizations and activities. In this aspect, UNESCO being a special UN agency on the matters of Education, Science, Culture and Communications would like to be in the position of catalyst and work in close cooperation with other UN agencies, NGOs and institutions of higher education themselves. Much effort is given to obtain financial support for these programmes from the governments, inter-governmental organizations and governmental and private economic enterprises.

TYPES OF ACTIVITIES

UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme offers different types of activities, from organization and development of the personnel and to teaching different subjects and support of libraries and laboratories. It requires a very flexible style of work that makes it possible to discuss, come to an agreement, and define the necessary activities and its types for different projects of this Programme. The main principle of the Programme is the true and equal right partnership of the institutions of higher education that initiate different projects within the Programme, respecting the autonomy and academic freedom of the universities.

Procedures

Procedures for the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme: A Practical Guide

Guidelines for the Submission of Project Proposal

List of Chairs

List of UNESCO Chairs/UNITWIN Network: UNESCO Moscow Cluster

Bulletin

Russian UNESCO Chairs Newsletter in English (#1 2004)

Conferences

The World Forum of UNESCO Chairs, Paris, 13-15 November 2002

Recommendations on a Strategy for Future Development of the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme

Questions and Answers on UNITWIN.

Who can take part in the Programme?

• Universities and other institutions of higher education recognized by the competent and authoritative State specialists in corresponding countries;
• NGOs working in the sphere of higher education and research, other academic and scientific organizations that want to set up liaisons with UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme
• National, Regional and International non-governmental and private institutions and agencies that already have or going to develop liaisons with UNESCO in the sphere of higher education.

How to join the Programme?

• Interested institutions should prepare and present to UNESCO detailed Project-Proposal that will include: goals, activities, work plans, budget estimates, etc. In case with NGOs Project-Proposal should be presented by their presidents and/or Secretariat;
• If Project-proposal deals with the establishing of inter-university organization, it should be presented either by the heads of the involved organizations or one institution, which initiated the process and managed to develop corresponding network organization.
• All project-proposals should be sent to UNESCO Secretariat either through National UESCO Commission of countries that take part in the project or with recommendations of these Commissions.

How to establish inter-university organization?

• Already existing inter-university organizations may express their wish to support this initiative by helping the institutions of higher education of developing countries.;
• University that are connected with each other through two-way partnership agreements should make one mutual agreement, thus establishing a new organization;
• Programmes of inter-university cooperation (scientific and research) turn into a more stable uniting agreement, connecting their activities with the aims of UNITWIN UNESCO Chairs Programme

How to establish UNESCO Chair?

• UNESCO Chair is organized as a new educational and research department of University and/or Institute and includes:
  • Chair Head as a head of the department,
  • Certain number of teachers/researchers from the institutions of higher education of native and foreign countries connected with the project,
  • Certain number of young students and researchers who entering Post-Graduate Study or going to study or conduct research at this Chair.
• Chair is organized within the university department by inviting new stuff in already existing educational/research Programme in a special area and developing the Programme, described in the item a;
• Vacant Chair of the given university is appointed by the UNESCO Chair following the agreement between UNESCO and this institution of higher education and is open for international cadres and organization of international Programme in this area, as it was stated above;
• The visits of professors are organized in different institutions of higher education, preferably in developing countries;

Since UNESCO Chairs are joined structures unifying interested institutions of higher education, associations, organizations and potential sponsors, they may have different functions, such as: being UNESCO Chairs/Inter-governmental organizations, UNESCO Chairs/NGOs, UNESCO Chairs of Government (Governments), UNESCO Chairs of funds, banks, agencies, UNESCO Chairs of a given university or consortium of universities, UNESCO Chairs of industry, etc.