UNESCO. General Conference; 36th; 36 C/5: volume 1: Draft ...

UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education
in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC)
01601 IESALC will cooperate with Member States, higher education institutions, non-governmental entities
and other UNESCO units to promote the development and expansion of higher education in Latin
America and the Caribbean with the aim of increasing its quality and relevance while ensuring equity,
inclusion and respect for diversity. The Institute will anchor higher education within society in general
and within the educational system as a whole, emphasizing its commitment to sustainable human and
social development, the achievement of quality education for all (EFA), and the strengthening of the
connection with scientific research, innovation and technological development through education.
01602 IESALC will work towards fulfilling its threefold mission as:
(a)
(b)
(c)
a study and reflection centre on the dynamics, processes and trends of higher education in
Latin America and the Caribbean, and the challenges it faces, by acting as a reference centre
and laboratory of ideas, actively helping to lay out public policies and institutional reforms,
identifying problems, designing strategies, and creating spaces for dialogue and dissemination
of information;
a space for interaction, discussion and generation of public debate and as a technical support
agency. It will foster cooperation between specialists, governmental and institutional leaders
and other social actors, the exchange of ideas and experiences, the identification of common
criteria, and the strengthening of national and regional capacities, while systemizing and sharing
information on key subjects on higher education in the region;
a catalyst for cooperation initiatives and networking in the region, by contributing to the
building of spaces of cooperation, favouring joint actions and the sharing of resources between
the different national and international agencies relevant to higher education, and encouraging
and supporting innovative projects.
01603 IESALC will contribute to the configuration and integration of an academic space for Latin America
and the Caribbean in order to strengthen academic mobility and cooperative research, foster improved
quality and relevance of higher education in the region, and contribute to scientific and technological
development through education as well as a culture of innovation, by undertaking the following three
areas of work:
(i)
(ii)
provide a regional platform for intellectual leadership on higher education innovation and
reform, and assess major trends and innovations in higher education through the mapping of
tertiary systems aimed at diagnosing, anticipating and responding to emerging trends and needs
in higher education in the region;
provide technical assistance to Member States and institutions to strengthen their capacities
linked to the formulation, planning, implementation and monitoring of public policies in
the field of higher education, and to improve their management, monitoring and evaluation
capacities for promoting scientific and technological development through education and
towards the realization of the actions set out in the Communiqué of World Conference on
Higher Education (WCHE);
65 36 C/5 – Major Programme I