UNESCO Chair-GACER News December 3, 2012

Hello Friends,

Budd is heading to India to join Rajesh for the India Launch of the UNESCO Chair.  It will take place December 10th at the Jamia Millia Islamia, an impressive university in South Delhi founded by the muslim community.

We hope that you are all well and seeing your projects moving forward. Please see the video clip competition for student at the end of the newsletter!

Budd Hall and Rajesh Tandon

Co-Chairs

UNESCO Chair in Community-Based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education

Congratulations to Tan Sri Dzulkifli Abdul Razak on his election as President of the International Association of Universities

"Dzul" as he is better known, was elected President of the IAU at their recent highly successful global conference in Puerto Rico.  We wish him well and look forward to working with him and our esteemed friend Eva Egon Pollack, the Executive Director

New Knowledge for a Future That Works:  An Invitation to Help Build an International Network and Annual Forum on Communities, Livelihoods, and Universities

 From: Edward Jackson <[email protected]>

"We are writing to seek your advice, support and participation in designing and launching a new initiative to establish an international network and annual forum on how communities and universities can shape positive futures of hope and fulfillment—especially the futures of young people.

As you know, communities everywhere on the globe are working hard to meet the challenges of a world economy that is changing rapidly and profoundly.  Faced with continued high unemployment and inhospitable labour markets, young people desperately want to build new, positive futures for themselves and their peers.  So do households facing poverty, and other groups in society coping with social and economic marginalization. 

This situation is unacceptable.  It is time, we believe, for a serious, sustained effort to pull together the resources to create new solutions and build new momentum to address these issues.

That’s why we have joined together to form the beginning of a new international network and forum:  the Network for a Future that Works.  Based in Rio de Janeiro, our network brings together universities, governments and the young leaders of communities. We aim to use social technologies, business enterprise, impact investing and knowledge co-creation to generate decent work and sustainable livelihoods and positive futures, especially for younger individuals and families in rural communities"

Talloires Youth Economic Participation Initiative

From Rob Hollister, Talloires

"I would greatly appreciate your assistance with outreach for the Talloires Network’s new Youth Economic Participation Initiative.  Please call it to the attention of member institutions and networks in developing countries and encourage them to apply.  Attached are:  the Request for Expressions of Interest, Expression of Interest Application, and Frequently Asked Questions.

As you know, this $5.9 million initiative aims to address the global crisis in youth unemployment by supporting universities in developing countries to strengthen how they prepare their students for employment and elevate their ability to create new enterprises.  The application process will be conducted in two stages:  (1) Submission of short Expressions of Interest by December 10, 2012, and (2) Submission of full proposals by 16 – 20 finalists in March, 2013.'

Introducing a new blog on community-university engagement hosted by University Affairs, 

Canada’s most authoritative source of information about higher education.  Taking the Plunge is written by Dr. Margo Fryer, founding Director of the University of British Columbia Learning Exchange and UBC-Community Learning Initiative, now UBC’s Senior Advisor for Student Learning Initiatives.

The blog’s goal is to deepen the discourse about community engagement so that an understanding of its complexities and subtleties can become a strong foundation for work that not only enhances students’ learning but creates a new kind of interdependence between post-secondary institutions and the communities they interact with, whether these are local or global.

Here is the link to the latest post:

http://www.universityaffairs.ca/taking-the-plunge/community-engagement-why-bother/

CALL FOR VIDEOS “The World We Imagine”

The Global University Network for Innovation (GUNi)  is opening a Call for Videos for higher education students around the world, with a goal to involve your visions on transformative knowledge in higher education.

We are living through a crisis of scale, a crisis that affects all systems and that requires a new understanding of reality, a new conscience, and a new way of organizing the collective in all areas, overcoming the undesired effects of the old models. A positive transformation will depend on all of the responses that we will be able to articulate in the present and near future.

In this context, the role of students is essential, since you will be the main protagonists of tomorrow. Thus, GUNi is giving you a unique opportunity to bring your ideas to the higher education community. Make a 2-3 minute video interpreting the statement “The World We Imagine”. What world would you like to live in? What tools can make your imagined world work? Share with us your ideal future!

After an initial selection, the best videos will be screened at our 6^th International Barcelona Conference on Higher Education, which will take place in 13-15 May 2013,  and will be featured on our Website (www.guninetwork.org). Furthermore, a synthesis of all contributions will be published in our upcoming report “Higher Education in the World 5”.