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

Summary
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UNESCO is the heir of International Institution of Intellectual Co-operation. It was created in
1946 to promote peace and security through international collaboration in education, science,
culture and now communication also. UNESCO organizational structure comprises of three
principal organs; the general conference, the executive board and the secretariat. These organs
are linked with each other and each organ performs specific functions. UNESCO has five roles to
play in its domains; laboratory of ideas, standard-setter, capacity-builder and catalyst
organization. UNESCO is not the only UN agency, which is working for education but there are
other nine UN agencies also, which are linked directly and indirectly with education sector. But
in the higher education sub-sector UNESCO is the only UN agency, which has mandate to work
for capacity-building in higher education in the member states.
UNESCO has been working for the promotion and development of education at levels including
higher education in the world since its inception.
UNESCO has official relations with 87 intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), 335 non-
governmental organizations (NGOs), 319 international NGOs and 19 foundations and 16
organizations of the United Nations system. Furthermore UNESCO has 4000 clubs, Centers and
Associations in some 100 countries, 7,900 Associated Schools in 176 countries. UNESCO
Chairs and UNITWIN Networks, which undertake training, research, information sharing and
outreach activities in many programs that include: education, sciences, culture, and
communication and ICTs. Today there are more than 715 UNESCO Chairs and 69 UNITWIN
Networks, which are active in 131 countries. UNESCO headquarters is in Paris but it is
physically present in all regions through its 56 field offices; 17 in Africa, 16 in Asia, 14 in Latin
America, 10 in Arab states and 5 in Europe. Apart from its field offices UNESCO also have six
institutes and eight centers in the different parts of the world, which help to achieve its
objectives.
UNESCO is supporting and working on the four initiatives that were launched by the United
Nations; the Education for All, the Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations Literacy
Decade and United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.
UNESCO performs many activities to develop higher education in its member countries that
ranges from supporting the policy reforms, promoting capacity development, establishing