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Foreword
We are pleased to present the publication entitled Systems of Higher Education, Research and Innovation:
Changing Dynamics. This is the first edition of the Research Report emanating from the outcomes
of the UNESCO Forum on Higher Education, Research and Knowledge, between 2001
and 2009.
First and foremost, it is appropriate to situate this Research Report 2001-2009 in relation to
the aims of the UNESCO Forum and, thus, to contextualize the specific issues related to higher
education and research worldwide.
The UNESCO Forum focuses on the role and status of national research systems and international
trends in this domain in relation to the challenges posed by the Knowledge Society of
the twenty-first century. Located at UNESCO and supported by the Swedish International Development
Agency (Sida), the UNESCO Forum provides a platform for researchers, policymakers
and relevant stakeholders to engage critically with the key elements underpinning research
systems: (i) policy trends; (ii) infrastructure; (iii) human capacity; and (iv) investment. This project has assured
follow-up action for two major UNESCO conferences, the 1998 World Conference on
Higher Education, “Higher Education in the twenty-first century” and the 1999 World Conference on
Science, “Science for the twenty-first century”, and links closely to the intergovernmental programme
for the Management of Social Transformation (MOST), located in the Sector of Social and Human
Sciences (SHS), UNESCO.
The UNESCO Forum believes that it is central to reaffirm the importance of research at
the current moment given the rapid developments since 2000 in knowledge production and management,
and their ramifications for social change and progress. Research on research has become,
therefore, even more crucial and is now well-recognized as a major field of enquiry for international
organizations, charged with advising their Member States about the questions involved.
This year 2009 marks the 10 th Anniversary of the World Conferences on Higher Education
and Science, to be held in Paris and Budapest respectively, as well as the convening of the 2 nd
World Social Sciences Forum in Bergen, Norway. This first Research Report of the UNESCO
Forum on Higher Education, Research and Knowledge links to these occasions and, very importantly,
aims to continue a vigorous and provocative debate on research systems.
The contents of this Research Report and its articulation of emerging trends and challenges
are intended to provide fresh insights both for policy-makers and the higher education community
alike, as they address the main challenges facing research systems in a globalized world.
The Annexes to this Research Report document the publications produced by the Forum
between 2001 and 2009, as well as its programme of activities and wide participation in the international
policy dialogue on higher education, research and innovation (HERI) systems during this
period. Last, but not least, a collection of Forum slides and graphics and a list of the numerous
partner organizations which cooperate with the Forum in support of its mandate are provided.