The Conference

The 2009 World Conference on Higher Education  will take place in Paris at UNESCO Headquarters from 5 to 8 July 2009 under the theme of “ The New Dynamics of  Higher Education and Research for Societal Change and Development“. The Conference  – designed and conducted in synergy with the world higher education community and the fourth World Science Forum (Budapest, November 2009) – will bring together key stakeholders to forge a new commitment to the development of higher education.

As a global platform for innovative thinking, the WCHE 2009 will take stock of the changes in higher education and research since the last World Conference in 1998 and address the new dynamics shaping the strategic agenda for the development of higher education policies and institutions in the foreseeable future. The conference will also pay special attention to African higher education and propose a concrete action plan to support its revitalisation in cooperation with African and other partners.

The two overarching themes the Conference will deal with are: Higher Education’s Role in Addressing Major Global Challenges and Societal Commitment and Social Responsibility of Higher Education. Three broad sub-themes will be addressed in parallel sessions: Internationalisation, Regionalisation and Globalisation; Equity, Access and Quality; Learning, Research and Innovation.

More information:
http://www.unesco.org/education/hed/2009-worldconference

Why World Conference 2009?

The 2009 World Conference is being organised pursuant to a Resolution adopted at the 34th Session of UNESCO’s General (Conference October 2007), requesting the Director-General “ to convene a world conference on higher education in 2009 to stake stock of developments since 1998 and to re-examine the Frameworks for Priority Action for Change and Development in Higher Education adopted in 1998 so it can provide a basis for UNESCO’s activities to promote access to quality higher education