Higher education in Asian countries and the role of international ...

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5. Netherlands Organization for International Co-operation in Higher Education
6. Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation
7. Swedish International Cooperation Development Agency
5.1.2 Role of UNESCO in the higher education
In the UN system no agency other than UNESCO is working directly in the field of higher
education and it is the only UN body with a mandate to support national capacity-building in
higher education in the member states (Davis & Mutch, 2006). Likewise UNESCO is among the
very few intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), which are engaged in the development of
higher education in all parts of the world. This Organization aims to be a world leader in higher
education, reforms and transformation, by playing an effective role and by acting as laboratory of
ideas. UNESCO performs many activities to develop higher education in its member countries
that ranges from supporting the policy reforms, promoting capacity development, establishing
UNESCO Chairs and Networks, assisting in quality assurance, sharing of information and data,
to promoting access to digital technologies (Bubtana, 2005).
Since its inception, in 1946, UNESCO has been working for the promotion and development of
education at levels including higher education in the world. In August 1948 a preparatory
conference of representatives of universities was organized by UNESCO in the collaboration the
Netherlands government. The main objective of this conference was to establish an International
Association of Universities (IAU). 118 representatives of 44 countries attended this conference.
(Report ED /3). In 1949 from 19 th to 25 th June UNESCO convened First International
Conference on Adult Education with the collaboration of Danish government, Second
Conference on Adult Education was held in 1960 in Montreal, third conference of this series was
held in Tokyo in 1972, while 4 th conference held in Paris in1985. In 1960 UNESCO arranged
three ministerial conferences were held in different parts of the world to spell out the nature and
extent of needs in education in Asia, the Arab states and Africa. For Asia this conference held in
Karachi, for Arab states in Beirut and for Africa in Addis Ababa 19
19 Source: UNESCO Archives (ED/12), (ED/177), (ED/MD/25), (ED.85/CONF.210), (ED/173), (ED/ Arab States/7
Rev) and (ED/174,180,181)