GACER News

Dear Friends,

Special thanks to Talloires and GUNI for their terrific and very professional newsletter.  I continue in my archaic approach of doing this as an e-mail.  I had hoped to find the time to learn how to do the newsletters like others do, but have never caught up enough to take a day or so to teach myself.

But lots of news to share today.

UNESCO CREATES CHAIR IN COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION- A new Chair, as part of the UNESCO Chairs Programme has been created in our area of interest.  The Chair is to be jointly directed by the University of Victoria and PRIA with Budd Hall and Rajesh Tandon named as the Co-Directors.  This is the first such Chair to be created out of a partnership between a university and an NGO and between a Northern and Southern partner.  While there are some formalities still to be worked out, work has begun to develop an action plan and identify additional partners.

GACER/UNESCO CHAIR PLANNING TO MEET MAY 9, 2012 in partnership with the International Living Knowledge Network 5th International Conference (May 10-12) in Bonn, Germany hosted by the Bonn Science Shop-please let Budd know if you will attend

Living Knowledge Registration

GREEN TEMPLETON COLLEGE HOSTS CONFERENCE ON TERTIARY EDUCATION IN EMERGING MARKETS – JAN 13-15, 2012

With leadership from Sir David Watson, Principal of Green Templeton College and participation of other GACER leaders, Rajesh Tandon and Dzul  Abdul Razack, leaders from Emerging Market countries discussed the role of tertiary education in the critical next phases of development.

Summarising the outcome of the symposium, Chairman and former Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said: “If emerging markets get tertiary education right it could be a game-changer. If the future of emerging markets is now everybody’s business, tertiary education must be everybody’s concern. Universities and other institutions must not only supply an expanding range of capabilities but must also ensure  academic and technical education is anchored in sound values. Students must be taught to do things right - and to do the right things.”  (fuller report attached)

GUNI NEEDS DATES OF KEY GLOBAL EVENTS IN 2012/13 IN COMMUNITY UNIVERSITY ENGAGEMENT

GUNI is moving ahead with the preparation of the next world report on higher education, one that will focus on Community University Engagement.  It is planning as well for a World Conference to be held during 2013.  For planning purposes, they would like to know about major conferences that are being held during this period in order to be able to build on the energies from other networks and choose a date when the latest numbers of us will be able to attend.

Please send dates of any events that you know of to: Jesus Granados.Sanchez

"BIG TENT" GROUP PLANNING GLOBAL DIALOGUE III TO TAKE PLACE IN CONJUNCTION WITH LIVING KNOWLEDGE NETWORK MEETING MAY 9-12 BONN

Plans for the next version of the Global Dialogue Communiques on Community University Research and Engagement are being planned.  There are two new ideas:  1)to use an internet platform without video backup to enable larger numbers of people to participate and 2) to choose a theme to focus the application of ideas.  The suggested theme for Global Dialogue III is: Building a Sustainable Economy.

We are looking for one of the networks that has experience with web based discussions to take a leadership role in this process.  We plan on producing a communique that will be released on May 12 at the closing session of the 5th Living Knowledge Conference.

Any persons interested, contact Budd Hall