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— November 2019 —


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November 28, 2019

QS Asia University Rankings 2020

QS Asia University Rankings

QS Asia University Rankings

Photo: A part of the Student Center at the Nanyang Technical University (NTU), Singapore, Campus. NTU is ranked number two in Asia. Image Credit: Damien Walmsley.

Discover the top universities in Asia with the QS Asia University Rankings 2020.

London, November 28, 2019 — In the QS Asia University Rankings, an impressive 550 universities feature in this year’s rankings, including 68 new entrants. The National University of Singapore (NUS) remains number one in Asia, with Nanyang Technological University (NTU) leapfrogging The University of Hong Kong (HKU) to take second place. Seventeen different locations are represented in this year’s Asia rankings, although only four regions get featured in the top 10. There’s only one new face in the top 10 this year - China’s Zhejiang University, which rises seven places to take the sixth position. This year’s rankings have been constructed using ten different indicators, which include academic and employer reputation.

QS Asia Top 25

QS Asia Rank— Institution — Country

  1. National University of Singapore (NUS) — Singapore
  2. Nanyang Technological University (NTU) — Singapore
  3. The University of Hong Kong — Hong Kong SAR
  4. Tsinghua University — China (Mainland)
  5. Peking University — China (Mainland)
  6. Zhejiang University — China (Mainland)
  7. Fudan University — China (Mainland)
  8. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology — Hong Kong SAR
  9. KAIST - Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology — South Korea
  10. The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) — Hong Kong SAR
  11. Seoul National University — South Korea
  12. Korea University — South Korea
  13. The University of Tokyo — Japan
  14. Universiti Malaya (UM) — Malaysia
  15. Kyoto University — Japan
  16. Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) — South Korea
  17. Shanghai Jiao Tong University — China (Mainland)
  18. Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) — Japan
  19. City University of Hong Kong — Hong Kong SAR
  20. National Taiwan University (NTU) — Taiwan
  21. Yonsei University — South Korea
  22. Osaka University — Japan
  23. Tohoku University — Japan
  24. Hanyang University — South Korea
  25. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University — Hong Kong SAR

• QS Asia — INDIA

QS Asia Rank— Institution

The best performing institution from India is IIT Bombay, which drops one place to 34th position. IIT Delhi follows it at 43rd place and IIT Madras on the 50th.

Among the traditional universities, the University of Delhi tops in India. It is now placed 67th in Asia.

Meanwhile, in an exciting evolution, Pakistan’s oldest university, Punjab University Lahore, has secured 195th rank in the QS Asia University Rankings 2020, while its offshoot, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India, could get placed under the 291-300 bracket only.

|GlobalGiants.Com|


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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:49 PM | View the original post





November 27, 2019

International Council for Film Television and Audio-visual Communication (ICFT) to award the ICFT-UNESCO Fellini medal to the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

International Film Festival of India

Photo: Actress Tisca Chopra at the In-Conversation Session on ‘Director’s Actor,’ during the 50th International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2019), in Panaji, Goa on November 22, 2019.

Panaji, Goa, India, 27 November 2019 — Georges Dupont, Director General, International Council for Film Television, and Audio-visual Communication (ICFT) has announced that ICFT would award the ICFT-UNESCO Fellini medal to International Film Festival of India (IFFI). IFFI would get the award on completion of its glorious 50 years, he said. Project Manager, ICFT, Ms. Xueyuan Hun, was also present at the press conference.

“We realized IFFI was the place to be. We are happy to learn you are celebrating the 50th year. IFFI is a lighthouse to the rest, and you have to shine the light to the rest of the world,” Mr. Dupont said.

Movies are becoming more aggressive these days, and that is good in a way because now, people can see what happened and do not remain blind to their surroundings, Mr. Dupont added.

Xueyuan Hun spoke about the upcoming platform that ICFT would launch next year. The platform would strive to follow on three goals: build peace, stimulate creation in youngsters, and explore the endless opportunity of moving images. It would foster better communication between youngsters and professionals for making more innovations, Ms. Hun said. The ultimate aim is to build peace in people’s minds, Ms. Hun added.

Concerning teaching education at a school level in making films that promote peace, Hun said, “The moving image is the most powerful way to express an idea. What to teach and what you can do with the moving image is the key. Media education is about information, expression, and what people can learn from what media gives.” In terms of connecting young filmmakers in India to the youth platform, Hun said they would be happy to develop further projects between IFFI and ICFT, next year.

On ICFT UNESCO Gandhi Award, Mr. Dupont said that IFFI screens the films for the awards and that the ICFT jury evaluates the movies based on the ideals of UNESCO.

IFFI collaborates with the International Council for Film, Television and Audiovisual Communication (ICFT) Paris, to present a special ICFT prize consisting of the UNESCO Gandhi Medal. The UNESCO issued commemorative medal in 1994, marking the 125th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi. Since then, IFFI and ICFT have been awarding the ICFT UNESCO Gandhi Award to a film that best reflects Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals of peace, tolerance, and non-violence. This year seven notable foreign films, namely Ama Khando, Oray, Rwanda, Sanctorum, The Infiltrators, The Warden, Vitality, and one Indian film (Bahattar Hoorain), will compete for this exemplary award.

IFFI is considered to be Asia’s one of the oldest and prestigious Film Festival delivering a diverse array of compelling films, panel discussions, and other special events. This Golden Jubilee edition showcases over 200 best films from 76 countries.

|GlobalGiants.Com|


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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:10 PM | View the original post





November 26, 2019

UNESCO adopts the first United Nations international treaty on Higher Education as UNESCO General Conference endorses the Global Convention on Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications.

Unesco Gneral Confrence, Degrees

Unesco Gneral Confrence, Degrees

Photo: The 40th UNESCO General Conference in Paris. 25 November 2019. Image provided by & copyright © UNESCO/Fred Di Girolamo.

Unesco Gneral Confrence, Higher Education

Photo: Scene during the plenary meeting of the 40th UNESCO General Conference in Paris. 26 November 2019. Image provided by & copyright © UNESCO/Marie Etchegoyen.

Paris, France, 26 November 2019 — On 25 November 2019, UNESCO’s Member States adopted the first United Nations convention on higher education when the plenary of the 40th session of the General Conference endorsed the Global Convention on Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education. The new Convention establishes universal principles for recognition of studies and degrees and will improve mobility for the more than 220 million students enrolled in higher education worldwide.

Eight years in the making, the new Global Convention expands the scope of the main principles of UNESCO’s regional recognition conventions to assess foreign qualifications in a fair, non-discriminatory, and transparent manner. It builds on quality assurance mechanisms and sharing of information about higher education institutions and systems, study programs, and degrees. Where the regional conventions only cover mobility between countries within the different UNESCO regions, the Global Convention paves the way for the increasing movement between regions and continents, which already counts for more than half of the 5 million mobile students in the world today.

Although the Global Convention does not impose automatic recognition of foreign qualifications, it lays down the principle that a student qualifying for access to higher education in one country generally will qualify for higher education studies when moving to another country.

The Global Convention also simplifies recognition processes by turning the burden of proof from applicants to recognition authorities. Where in the past, it has been mostly up to students to prove why their foreign qualifications should be recognized, it is now up to recognition authorities to show why they have not granted recognition. Even when the authorities withhold recognition of skills, applicants have the right to appeal.

Furthermore, the general rule is now for recognition authorities to look for similarities to recognize foreign qualifications, rather than rejecting recognition based on insignificant dissimilarities between international and national requirements, as has often been the case before.

The Global Convention includes innovative provisions on recognition of prior learning, partial studies, cross-border education, and non-traditional learning modes such as online or blended learning. With the Global Convention, the obligation to fairly assess the qualifications of refugees who cannot provide sufficient documentation becomes a universal principle. UNESCO is, therefore, piloting the UNESCO Qualifications Passport for Refugees and Vulnerable Migrants to provide the Member States with a tool for assessing undocumented qualifications held by refugees.

The new Convention creates a normative platform for fostering trust among higher education systems. It is a landmark opportunity for the world’s academic communities to embrace a common good and a shared resolve to forge lifelong higher education learning institutions that are at once relevant, dynamic, and inclusive. The Convention will help ensure the right to education of individuals by facilitating access to higher education.

|GlobalGiants.Com|


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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 10:59 AM | View the original post





November 25, 2019

New UNESCO Recommendation will Promote Access to Educational Resources for All.

Unesco, Education

Photo: Plenary meeting of UNESCO General Conference in Paris. 25 November 2019. Image provided by & copyright © UNESCO/Christelle ALIX.

Paris, France, 25 November 2019 — An important step was taken towards quality education and access to information for all, as UNESCO’s General Conference adopted today a Recommendation on Open Educational Resources (OER).

This new Recommendation will support the development and sharing of openly-licensed learning and teaching materials, benefitting students, teachers, and researchers worldwide.

“The Recommendation on OER will contribute to the building of open and inclusive knowledge societies, and the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals,” highlighted Mr. Moez Chakchouk, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information.

OER are learning, teaching, and research materials in any format and medium that reside in the public domain or are under the copyright released under an open license, which permit no-cost access, re-use, re-purpose, adaptation and redistribution by others.

The UNESCO Recommendation will support the creation, use, and adaptation of inclusive and quality OER, and facilitate international cooperation in this field. Its objectives also include the development of supportive policies and the creation of sustainability models for OER.

During the General Conference debates, several Member States from different world regions expressed their support to the Recommendation on OER, underlining its essential role in providing access to quality education on digital platforms. The discussion echoed the critical contribution of OER to the construction of open, inclusive, and participatory knowledge societies.

“I welcome the intersectoral cooperation around the Recommendation,” said Ms. Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education. “It shows how two Sectors can collaborate and support the Member States.” Ms. Giannini also highlighted that UNESCO had coined the term and concept of OER in 2002.

In his concluding remarks, Mr. Moez Chakchouk, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, announced the launch of a Dynamic Coalition to expand and consolidate commitments and strategies in the area of OER.

This Dynamic Coalition reflects the Ministerial Statement for the 2nd World OER Congress and will contribute to promoting and reinforcing international cooperation on the implementation of the Recommendation. UNESCO will work closely to support the Member States and other stakeholders in this regard.

|GlobalGiants.Com|


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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:33 PM | View the original post





November 22, 2019

Amitabh Bachchan Retrospective Opens at Kala Academy, 50th International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2019), Panaji, Goa.

Film Festival of India, Goa

Photo: The venue of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2019) gearing up for the inaugural ceremony of the festival’s Golden Jubilee edition, in Panaji, Goa on November 19, 2019.

Film Festival of India, Goa

Photo: The Chief Minister of Goa, Pramod Sawant, felicitating the Popular Actor Amitabh Bachchan, at the Dada Saheb Phalke Retrospective, during the 50th International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2019), in Panaji, Goa on November 21, 2019.

Film Festival of India, Goa

Photo: Director Nila Madhab Panda, Actress Divya Dutta, and Manjari Fadnis at the screening of film ‘Interdependence’ during the 50th International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2019), in Panaji, Goa on November 21, 2019.

GoaFilmFestHero-004.jpg

Photo: Award presentation ceremony of the film ‘The Hero,’ during the 50th International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2019), in Panaji, Goa on November 21, 2019.

Panaji, Goa, November 21, 2019 — Indian film personality, Amitabh Bachchan (Big B), inaugurated the Dadasaheb Phalke Award retrospective organized at Kala Academy in connection with the 50th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) today in Goa. This year, the 50th edition of IFFI is showcasing a retrospective of Amitabh Bachchan as he was honored with Dadasaheb Phalke award this year. IFFI 2019 will showcase 6 of the best films by Amitabh Bachchan in a separate section honoring the star’s achievement.

The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India’s highest award in cinema. It is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organization set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The Government honors the recipient for his/her “outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema.”

Speaking at the launch, Mr. Bachchan said, “I feel deeply humbled and would thank the Government of India for this prestigious award. I’ve always felt that I’m not deserving of such recognition, but I humbly accept this with a lot of grace and affection”.

On the golden jubilee edition of IFFI, he said, “This is the 50th edition of IFFI, and I compliment the Government of India and IFFI for conducting themselves in such a wonderful manner. Each year we find a growth in the number of delegates and the choice of films allowing us to see the works and creativity from different parts of the world.”

Calling cinema, a universal medium, Mr. Bachchan added that films are beyond the borders of language. “When we sit inside a dark hall, we never ask the caste, creed, color of the person sitting next to us. We enjoy the same film, laugh at the same jokes and cry at the same emotions,” he said.

He warned that there are few mediums left like cinema in this fast-paced disintegrating world that can claim such integration. He expressed hope that we continue to make films that will bring people together.

The Master Actor also called for the disintegration of the rather odd system of keeping sides due to colors, caste, and religion. “We should bring us together in one community, hold hands together to appreciate the creativity and take a step forward to make this world a peaceful place,” he advised.

Bachchan, who has a close connection to Goa fondly recalled shooting his first film here. He said, “Coming to Goa has always been like coming home, and I’ve had many wonderful opportunities to work in this place and receive the hospitality from the people of Goa during our various stints of shooting.”

The Retrospective section of the Goa Film Festival is screening Amitabh’s following films: Sholay, Deewar, Black, Piku, Paa, and Badla.

|GlobalGiants.Com|


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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:53 AM | View the original post





November 19, 2019

UNESCO is hosting the Forum of the Ministers of Culture

UNESCO, Culture

Photo: UNESCO Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, at the Opening of the Forum of Ministers of Culture. UNESCO Headquarters, Paris. 19 November 2019. Image provided by & copyright © UNESCO/Christelle ALIX.

UNESCO, Culture

ENLARGE

Photo: A Group Photograph of the Ministers of Culture with the UNESCO Director-General at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France. 19 November 2019. Image provided by & copyright © UNESCO/Luc Valigny.

UNESCO, Culture

ENLARGE

Photo: A Group Photograph of the participants in the Youth Forum at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France. 18 November 2019. Image provided by & copyright © UNESCO/Luc Valigny.

UNESCO, Culture, Denmark

Photo: Princess Marie of Denmark on an official visit to the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. November 15, 2019. Image provided by & copyright © UNESCO/Luc Valigny.

Paris, France, 19 November 2019 — UNESCO is hosting the Forum of Ministers of Culture, a major event to discuss the central place of culture in public policies around the world and its impact on sustainable development.

More than 140 Ministers and high representatives were present to mark a high point during the 40th session of the General Conference of UNESCO (12-27 November 2019). UNESCO, the only United Nations agency for culture, is returning to the tradition of ministerial meetings in the field of culture, 21 years after the Intergovernmental Conference on Cultural Policies for Development held in Stockholm, Sweden in 1998.

As a platform for priority setting and public policy development, this ministerial meeting is an opportunity to make decisive progress on the role of culture in development.

The Forum would explore these four themes:

In response to contemporary changes, UNESCO is strengthening its multidisciplinary scope and addressing the issue of sustainable development comprehensively by emphasizing the linkages between culture and social, economic, and environmental issues. In the Forum of Ministers of Culture, the ministers will share their views through interactive exchanges. They will present their cultural policy priorities and visions for the future.

|GlobalGiants.Com|

— The editor is actively, effectively contributing to the enhancement of UNESCO Creative Cities Network (Division of Creativity, Culture Sector, UNESCO) since 2014.


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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 12:13 PM | View the original post





November 18, 2019

World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in January 2020 in Davos, Switzerland to focus on 'Defining Stakeholder Capitalism'

World Economic Forum

Photo: Impressions at the Annual Meeting 2019 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, January 2019. Image provided by & Copyright © World Economic Forum / Jakob Polacsek.

World Economic Forum

Photo: Impressions at the Annual Meeting 2019 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, January 2019. Image provided by & Copyright © World Economic Forum / Benedikt von Loebell.

Geneva, Switzerland, 18 November 2019 - The World Economic Forum recently announced the theme and details for its 50th Annual Meeting, to be held 21-24 January 2020, in Davos, Switzerland.

The Meeting’s theme will be ‘Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World.’ It will bring together 3,000 participants from around the world, and aim to give concrete meaning to “stakeholder capitalism,” assist governments and international institutions in tracking progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, and facilitate discussions on technology and trade governance.

“People are revolting against the economic ‘elites’ they believe have betrayed them. And our efforts to keep global warming limited to 1.5°C are falling dangerously short,” said Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman at the World Economic Forum. “With the world at such critical crossroads, this year we must develop a ‘Davos Manifesto 2020’ to reimagine the purpose and scorecards for companies and governments. It is what for which we founded the World Economic Forum 50 years ago, and it is what we want to contribute to for the next 50 years.”

The Programme for the Annual Meeting will prioritize six key areas:

• Ecology: How to mobilize businesses to respond to the risks of climate change and ensure that measures to protect biodiversity reach forest floors and ocean beds.

• Economy: How to remove the long-term debt burden. And how to keep the economy working at a pace that allows higher inclusion.

• Technology: How to create a global consensus on deployment of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies and avoid a ‘technology war.’

• Society: How to reskill and upskill, a billion people in the next decade.

• Geopolitics: How the ‘spirit of Davos’ can create bridges to resolve conflicts in global hotspots. Informal meetings to set kickstart conciliation.

• Industry: How to help businesses create the models necessary to drive enterprise in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. And how to navigate an enterprise in a world influenced by politics, driven by exponential technological changes, and increasing expectations from all stakeholders.

The Forum’s first Meeting in 1971 was established to further the idea put forward by Professor Klaus Schwab that business should serve all stakeholders - customers, employees, communities, as well as shareholders.

According to WEF, the 2020 Annual Meeting will be among the “most sustainable international summits ever held.”

“Awarded the IS0 20121 standard for sustainable events in 2018, the Annual Meeting is fully carbon neutral through reducing, calculating and offsetting event-related emissions”, WEF stated.

Meanwhile, Muriel Pénicaud, Minister of Labour of France, and Mark Schneider, Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé, Switzerland, will join the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum.

“The World Economic Forum, as the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation, is delighted to welcome Muriel Pénicaud and Mark Schneider to its Board of Trustees. We look forward to working together to deliver positive, transformative solutions to our most critical global, regional and industry challenges,” said Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum.

As of 15 November 2019, the Members of the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum are:

|GlobalGiants.Com|


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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 4:24 AM | View the original post





November 16, 2019

Global Law Conference on 'Environmental Laws' opens at Chandigarh University

Chandigarh University

ENLARGE

Photo: The Union Minister for Railways and Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal, releasing the Conference Volume-I containing research papers on Environment, at the inaugural session of two-day Global Law Conference on ‘Environmental Laws: Challenges and Solutions’, at Chandigarh University, Mohali, Punjab, India, on November 16, 2019.

• The National Assessment and Accreditation Council of India (NAAC) has awarded Chandigarh University with the prestigious ‘A+’ Grade.

|GlobalGiants.Com|


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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:27 PM | View the original post





India's HRD Minister addresses education ministers and representatives of nearly 190 countries at the 40th UNESCO General Conference in Paris.

UNESCO, India

Photo: India’s HRD Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, addresses education ministers and representatives of nearly 190 countries at the 40th UNESCO General Conference in Paris. November 15, 2019. Image provided by & copyright © UNESCO/Marie Etchegoyen.

UNESCO, India

Photo: Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Human Resources Development Minister, India, addressed the General Policy Debate at UNESCO General Conference in Paris. November 15, 2019. Image provided by & copyright © UNESCO/Marie Etchegoyen.

UNESCO, India

Photo: India’s representative, Ananya Agarwal, spoke forcefully during the General Policy Debate at the UNESCO General Conference in Paris. November 13, 2019. Image provided by & copyright © UNESCO/Luc Valigny.

New Delhi, November 15, 2019 — India’s Union HRD Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal ”Nishank’, addressed education ministers/representatives of nearly 190 countries at the 40th UNESCO General Conference today in Paris.

He said that age-old immortal Indian culture had considered the whole world as a family. Spreading the great idea of ​​”Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” all over the world, India has prayed for the welfare of the entire humanity by accepting the hypothesis of “Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah, Survey Santu Niramaya,” he added. By contemplating the idea of Integral Human Debate, we have pledged to reach out to the last person in the society.

The Minister said that this session of UNESCO has another significance as it is being held at a time when the whole world is celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. His message of truth and non-violence is even more critical and relevant today. Through education, we are trying to pursue and spread the spirit of universal brotherhood, social harmony, friendliness, human values, and love to every citizen of India, he added.

Minister ‘Nishank’ said that India is the third-largest education system in the world; therefore, it needs to be committed to building a bright future of more than 33 crore students. There are more than 1000 universities and more than 45000 colleges in India. India has been playing a positive and constructive role to carry forward the UNESCO’s mission and realize our shared objectives.

He assured continuous support of India to UNESCO in its effort to pursue its core mandate of building peace through international cooperation in Education, Science, Environment, and Culture.

He appreciated the efforts of UNESCO to ensure that every child and citizen receive a quality education.

The HRD Minister conveyed his thanks to UNESCO for including the city of Jaipur in the World Heritage List. He also thanked UNESCO for including Kumbh Mela, the world’s largest human gathering, in the list of intangible heritage. Likewise, he also welcomed the selection of Mumbai and Hyderabad for inclusion in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

|GlobalGiants.Com|

— The editor is actively, effectively contributing to the enhancement of UNESCO Creative Cities Network (Division of Creativity, Culture Sector, UNESCO) since 2014.


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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 4:07 AM | View the original post





November 15, 2019

UNESCO is creating Inclusive Global Campus; Ministers and University Leaders address Inclusion and Mobility in Higher Education.

Unesco, Paris

Photo: The Opening of the 40th General Conference of UNESCO. Image provided by & copyright © UNESCO/Marie Etchegoyen.

Unesco, Paris, Universities

Photo: A Government Representative at the opening of the General Conference. Image provided by & copyright © UNESCO/Christelle ALIX.

Paris, France, November 14, 2019 — Over 100 ministers and 100 representatives from universities, participating in the UNESCO Chairs program convened during UNESCO’s General Conference currently taking place in Paris. They addressed some of today’s most pressing challenges in higher education: How can governments and higher education institutions work together to create a more inclusive global campus in the light of rapidly increasing numbers in enrolment and mobility of students? And how can the higher education sector across the world work against increasing inequalities and for the inclusion of marginalized groups into societies?

The higher education landscape is rapidly changing globally, characterized by increasing internationalization, diversification of providers, and new modes of learning. Two hundred twenty million students are today enrolled in higher education around the world, a number that has doubled over the past decade and is set to expand.

However, increased enrolments have not proven to be a reliable indicator for achieving the 2030 Agenda overall goal of “leaving no one behind,” or for ensuring equitable and affordable quality higher education. Institutions face the challenge of providing quality education to an increasingly diverse student population, including non-traditional learners and disadvantaged groups such as migrants, refugees, and indigenous peoples.

The past decades’ unprecedented increase of enrolment in higher education is also reflected in the mobility of students with the move from an international university to a global campus of learners, faculty, and researchers fast becoming a reality. In the decade leading up to 2011, the number of learners choosing to study outside of their home country more than doubled to 4.3 million students - a figure that is conservatively estimated to increase again by 2025.

Yet many students still face obstacles in having their qualifications recognized when returning to their home country or moving to a new country. Lack of recognition of qualifications constitutes a significant obstacle for accessing further studies or for seeking employment opportunities. Today more than half of students going abroad study outside their home regions.

To respond to this new reality, UNESCO is preparing the adoption of a Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education at its General Conference that started this week. The new Convention aims to facilitate student mobility and improve access to higher education across regions and continents. UNESCO has also launched a Qualifications Passport to facilitate the movement for refugees with qualifications.

By convening policymakers and universities at this unprecedented meeting, UNESCO aims to strengthen the political will, international cooperation, and capacities in higher education to achieve the 2030 Agenda and to create an understanding of how the Global Convention can facilitate this process.

|GlobalGiants.Com|


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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 12:23 AM | View the original post





November 13, 2019

UN Secretary-General highlights UNESCO’s Global Leadership in Education at the Organization’s 40th General Conference.

UNESCO, Universities

Photo: Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, and UNESCO Director-General, Audrey Azoulay at the Opening of the 40th General Conference of UNESCO. Image provided by & copyright © UNESCO/Christelle ALIX.

UNESCO, Universities

Photo: UNESCO Director-General, Audrey Azoulay addresses the Opening of the 40th General Conference of UNESCO. Image provided by & copyright © UNESCO/Christelle ALIX.

Paris, 12 November—The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, Tuesday morning stressed UNESCO’s essential mandate in education and pleaded in favor of multilateralism as he opened UNESCO’s 40th General Conference addressing representatives of the Organization’s 193 Member States and 11 Associate Members.

“Education is an essential pillar to achieve our objectives for 2030. And we are late,” said the Secretary-General. “UNESCO has a fundamental role to play to coordinate and monitor global efforts in this regard. I commend the initiative launched by the Director-General at the UN General Assembly last September on the futures of education.”

Warning against the splintering of the international community along economic, social, and environmental divides, growing hate and discrimination, the Secretary-General declared: “We must do everything to maintain a universal system based on international law and preserve a multipolar world with strong multilateral institutions.”

“A world of cracks and fault-lines is not sustainable,” said the Secretary-General. “In this context, UNESCO’s work is central to bringing the world together.”

After the Secretary-General’s opening, the Member States named Ambassador Ahmet Altay Cengizer, Permanent Delegate of Turkey to UNESCO, as President of the 40th session of the General Conference.

Organization’s Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, denounced the multiple divides that are eroding national and international governance as well as the planet itself. She highlighted UNESCO’s vocation to serve as a laboratory of ideas.

“Contemporary challenges call on us to draw on our shared humanity,” said Ms. Azoulay. “Territorial borders can not contain them. Only cooperation, solidarity, and multilateralism can result in lasting solutions.”

The Director-General denounced the crippling effect of divisiveness on international governance. She said that it is our responsibility “to be effective by making multilateralism an everyday reality and by providing evidence that it can lead to better lives.”

Ms. Azoulay also stressed the importance of education, “the keystone of peace. We must correct not only the insufficiencies and inequalities that education is suffering from but also improve our guidance to the world’s educational systems so that we may lay the best foundations of practical, real, sustainable development.”

The General Conference is the governing body of UNESCO. It meets every other year to determine the Organization’s program and budget.

During its 40th session, which ends on 27 November, Member States are also set to adopt an international convention destined to facilitate the international recognition of higher education diplomas and the free movement of students and faculty.

|GlobalGiants.Com|


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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 6:20 AM | View the original post





November 10, 2019

UNESCO General Conference to examine the draft of the Global Convention on the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications.

UNESCO, Universities

UNESCO, Universities

Photo: UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, France. Session of the Executive Board. October 16-17, 2019. Image Credit: UNESCO/C. Bailleul.

Paris, France, November 9, 2019 — In November 2019, UNESCO’s General Conference will examine for adoption the draft text of the Global Convention on the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications. Once approved, the Global Convention will be the first legally binding United Nations treaty on higher education.

The Global Convention, a binding agreement, will join the ranks of other UNESCO conventions, such as the cultural conventions and the Convention against doping in sport.

The Convention will be the first of its kind in the UN on higher education with a global scope. It will complement the five UNESCO regional conventions on the recognition of higher education qualifications.

Built on the existing regional conventions, the Global Convention will create a framework for fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory recognition of higher education qualifications. The originality of the Convention is that it opens for inter-regional academic mobility, and puts into place universal principles for improving recognition practices.

Under certain conditions, the Convention will be open for countries, which wish to be committed to its text.

Today, more than 4 million students study outside their home country. By 2020 around 8 million students will be studying abroad. The Global Convention on Higher Education Qualifications is designed to facilitate academic mobility between regions. It will mainly benefit people who are seeking recognition of their qualifications in another area than their home region for either accessing higher education or continuing their studies.

For example, it will become easier for a student to have his/her high school diplomas recognized in another region to pursue his/her studies there. It will also facilitate a student who wants to complete a degree in another country based on education that he/she had started elsewhere.

The Global Convention on Higher Education Qualifications will also provide platforms for national authorities to collaborate across borders and regions to develop better tools and practices for the recognition of higher education qualifications.

UNESCO serves as a global platform for discussion on the recognition of higher education qualifications and the promotion of academic mobility. Being the only UN agency with a mandate in higher education, the new Convention is part of UNESCO’s technical support to review more top education strategies and policies in countries that decided to be committed to its text. This support aims to improve equitable access to quality higher education and enhance mobility and accountability.

UNESCO will be the secretariat of the mechanism to be set to ensure and monitor the implementation of the Convention’s text. This implementation mechanism body will meet every two years. It will provide guidance (recommendations, guidelines, and share good practices) to the countries committed to the Convention.

The Global Convention on Higher Education Qualifications will be a reliable instrument to prevent brain drain since it would facilitate governments to put in place mechanisms for recognizing degrees obtained abroad.

The Convention will also help migrants to access higher education in their new home countries as it obliges to put in place mechanisms to facilitate the recognition of refugees’ qualifications, even for those who cannot provide any documentary evidence of their skills.

The idea of a Global Convention on Higher Education Qualifications has been on UNESCO’s agenda for a long time. The formal process started in 2011 after a feasibility study had underlined the urgent need for such a convention to respond to the need for improved recognition of foreign qualifications worldwide. For this purpose, UNESCO established a drafting committee in 2016 consisting of experts from all regions that finalized a preliminary draft in June 2017.

UNESCO presented the draft for discussion at two intergovernmental meetings that took place in December 2018 and March 2019.

At the March meeting, more than 260 technical and legal experts from around 150 Member States approved the plan. Now the draft will be submitted for adoption at the 40th Session of the UNESCO General Conference in November 2019.

|GlobalGiants.Com|


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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 3:58 AM | View the original post





November 8, 2019

IPI 2020 World Congress welcomes Powerful Partners — The New York Times, The Washington Post, Reuters, and The Associated Press (AP), among others.

International Press Institute

New York, November 8, 2019 — The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists, has welcomed The New York Times, The Associated Press (AP), the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Reuters and Bloomberg as partners for its 2020 World Congress. Columbia University and the Columbia School of Journalism would co-host IPI’s 2020 World Congress and 70th Anniversary Celebration. The IPI World Congress is the organization’s global forum on press freedom.

“We are honored to join hands with some of the most respected news media in the US for an event that will celebrate the power of independent journalism,” said John Daniszewski, AP Vice President and Chair of the IPI 2020 World Congress. “IPI looks forward to welcoming many more news organizations as partners for its 2020 World Congress. It is a strong sign that US news media today remain as dedicated to the core values of journalistic quality and integrity as they were seven decades ago when some distinguished editors founded IPI at Columbia University, New York.”

|GlobalGiants.Com|

— The editor is a member of the International Press Institute (IPI).


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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:42 AM | View the original post





November 7, 2019

India HRD Ministry to set up an Interfaith Center at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar.

Nanak Books

Photo: The Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, and the Union Minister for Food Processing Industries, Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal released three Books of the National Book Trust on Guru Nanak at the University of Delhi on November 07, 2019. Dr. Pokhriyal also announced the setting up of Interfaith Center at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar.

New Delhi, November 7, 2019 — Union Human Resource Development Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, and Union Minister for Food Processing Industries, Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal launched three books on Guru Nanak Dev at the University of Delhi today.

The National Book Trust under the Ministry of HRD has published three Punjabi titles - Guru Nanak Bani, Nanak Bani, and Sakhian Guru Nanak Dev to spread the message of Guru Nanak. The National Book Trust has also published the title Guru Nanak Bani in Urdu, Odia, Marathi, Hindi, and Gujarati. It would publish its translations in Assamese, Bangla, Kannada, Sanskrit, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Sindhi, and English as well.

Mr. Pokhriyal congratulated National Book Trust for bringing out the books on the occasion of the 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. The books, he said, are relevant in these times, as the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev are apt in today’s world of complexities, and the youth world over need to follow his outlook of humanity, equality, and ‘One God.’ Mr. Pokhriyal also informed that in addition to the Guru Nanak Dev Chairs in Indian Universities, the Government had announced Guru Nanak Dev Chairs in Universities in the United Kingdom as well as in Canada. He also informed that many programs, seminars, discussions, discourses, and book release functions are being coordinated the world over by Indian missions abroad.

The HRD Minister also announced that an Interfaith Center would be set up at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, at the cost of Rs 493 crores.

While the National Book Trust, India will publish books on Guru Nanak in different Indian languages, UNESCO will publish Guru Nanak Dev’s writings in major world languages.

|GlobalGiants.Com|


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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 12:11 PM | View the original post





November 6, 2019

UN Secretary-General Meets Comptroller and Auditor General of India, a Member of the UN Board of Auditors.

United Nations

Photo: UN Secretary-General, António Guterres (right), meets with Rajiv Mehrishi, Comptroller and Auditor General of India. Mr. Mehrishi is a Member of the United Nations Board of Auditors. 05 November 2019. United Nations, New York. UN Photo/Mark Garten.

• UN Secretary-General Commemorates Fall of Berlin Wall.

United Nations

Photo: UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, stands by a piece of the Berlin Wall that stands in the garden of the UN Headquarters, ahead of the anniversary of the fall of the wall on 9 November 1989. The piece of wall was presented as a gift to the UN in 2002 by the Federal Republic of Germany. 08 November 2019. United Nations, New York. UN Photo/Mark Garten.

|GlobalGiants.Com|


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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 8:31 AM | View the original post





November 5, 2019

National Press Club, Washington DC, to screen PBS documentary on Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism.

National Press Club, Washington DC

National Press Club, Washington DC

Washington, DC, November 3, 2019 — The National Press Club will present the Washington premiere screening of the 90-minute public television documentary, “Guru Nanak: The Founder of Sikhism—Life and Legacy,” the story of the founder of the world’s fifth-largest religion, on Wednesday, November 20, at 7 p.m.

A reception will precede the screening at 6 p.m. A panel discussion with the film participants, moderated by Club President and Associated Press investigations editor Alison Kodjak, will follow.

Filmmakers and National Press Club members Gerald Krell and Adam Krell made the documentary in India, Pakistan, and on locations nationwide.

The documentary received the “best director” jury Award at the LA Awareness Film Festival. The film’s New York premiere will be at the Paley Center of Media on November 9. The “International Film Festival for Spirituality and Religion,” Jakarta, Indonesia, also has selected the documentary for screening.

Filmmakers Gerald and Adam Krell will appear on the panel following the screening, along with these other film participants:

Although Guru Nanak founded the fifth-largest religion in the world, Americans and the western world know little about him. This unique film coincides with the 550th anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak, who is considered a revolutionary activist. His ideas were well ahead of his time. Nanak espoused equality for all, gender empowerment, service to others, and devotion to the environment.

The documentary interweaves his life and how his spiritual legacy is carried out today by Sikh leaders in science, medicine, arts, and politics. In today’s world of stereotypes, nationalism, bullying, and misconceptions, Nanak’s message is relevant to people of all religions and races.

An eclectic range of participants in the documentary includes, among others: The first Hoboken Sikh Mayor Ravi Bhalla and 2019 Grammy Nominee Snatam Kaur.

|GlobalGiants.Com|

— The editor is a member of the National Press Club.


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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 7:13 AM | View the original post





November 4, 2019

India's Human Resource Development Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal' Nishank', addresses the 96th Annual Convocation of Delhi University.

Delhi University, Nishank

Photo: India’s Minister for Human Resource Development, Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’.

New Delhi, November 4, 2019 — Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, graced and addressed the 96th Annual Convocation of Delhi University in New Delhi today. Prof. D. P. Singh, Chairman, University Grants Commission, and Prof. Yogesh Kumar Tyagi, Vice-Chancellor, University of Delhi, were also present.

Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ lauded the outstanding performance of the students and efforts of all involved in taking this institution to high levels of eminence. Minister encouraged the students to be honest, fearless, and bold towards achieving their goals. He enthused the students with a new level of energy, fresh enthusiasm, and a new direction. Mr. Nishank also congratulated the University for its achievements and wished many more laurels in soon to arrive the 100th year of its establishment in 2022.

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Delhi, Prof. Yogesh Kumar Tyagi, congratulated all the awardees and said that ever since its establishment in 1922, the University of Delhi has been demonstrating consistent progress. It began with about 750 students. Today, it has almost 7 lakh students. The Delhi University alumni family is not only vast but also prodigious and awe-inspiring. Both the Prime Minister of India and the Chief Justice of India are distinguished alumni of our University. In the fitness of things, therefore, Delhi University holds the twenty-first position in World QS Rankings for the criterion of the alumni strength with a score of 96.6 percent. We are proud of our family, and we wish them all the best!

Prof. D. P. Singh, chairman UGC, enlighted the audience about the values of education and its advantages that allow for all-round development of the society.

|GlobalGiants.Com|


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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 12:40 PM | View the original post





November 1, 2019

Mumbai and Hyderabad join the 'UNESCO Creative Cities Network'

Mumbai, Creative City

Photo: Gateway of India, Mumbai. Image Credit: Edgar Vonk. UNESCO has designated Mumbai as a Creative City of Film.

On the World Cities Day 2019, celebrated on 31 October, UNESCO announced that the cities of Mumbai and Hyderabad are joining the UNESCO network of Creative Cities. UNESCO has designated Mumbai, a Creative City of Film. While it has appointed Hyderabad, a Creative City of Gastronomy. In India, they join Chennai and Varanasi, UNESCO Cities of Music, and Jaipur, UNESCO City of Crafts and Folk Arts.

There are now 246 cities worldwide committing with UNESCO to place culture and creativity at the center of their development strategies and to share their best practices. “All over the world, these cities, each in its way, make culture the pillar, not an accessory, of their strategy,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay.

By joining the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), cities commit to sharing their best practices and developing partnerships involving the public and private sectors as well as civil society to strengthen the creation, production, distribution, and dissemination of cultural activities, goods, and services. They also pledge to develop hubs of creativity and innovation and broaden opportunities for creators and professionals in the cultural sector.

The Network covers seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk Arts, Media Arts, Film, Design, Gastronomy, Literature, and Music.

UNESCO New Delhi Director Eric Falt offered words of praise to all those who worked on the candidacy of Mumbai and Hyderabad. He said: “I would like to offer my warm congratulations to both cities. I hope this will strengthen the development of hubs of creativity and innovation, which will contribute to the sustainable development plans of Mumbai and Hyderabad.”

This 30 October 2019, 66 cities have been designated as UNESCO Creative Cities by the Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay. As laboratories of ideas and innovative practices, the UNESCO Creative Cities bring a tangible contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through innovative thinking and action. Through their commitment, cities are championing sustainable development actions that directly benefit communities at the municipal level.

The new 66 UNESCO Creative Cities are:

  1. Afyonkarahisar (Turkey) - Gastronomy
  2. Ambon (Indonesia) - Music
  3. Angoulême (France) - Literature
  4. Areguá (Paraguay) - Crafts and Folk Art
  5. Arequipa (Peru) - Gastronomy
  6. Asahikawa (Japan) - Design
  7. Ayacucho (Peru) - Crafts and Folk Art
  8. Baku (Azerbaijan) - Design
  9. Ballarat (Australia) - Crafts and Folk Art
  10. Bandar Abbas (Iran [the Islamic Republic of]) - Crafts and Folk Art
  11. Bangkok (Thailand) - Design
  12. Beirut (Lebanon) - Literature
  13. Belo Horizonte (Brazil) - Gastronomy
  14. Bendigo (Australia) - Gastronomy
  15. Bergamo (Italy) - Gastronomy
  16. Biella (Italy) - Crafts and Folk Art
  17. Caldas da Rainha (Portugal) - Crafts and Folk Art
  18. Cebu City (Philippines) - Design
  19. Essaouira (Morocco) - Music
  20. Exeter (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) - Literature
  21. Fortaleza (Brazil) - Design
  22. Hanoi (Vietnam) - Design
  23. Havana (Cuba) - Music
  24. Hyderabad (India) - Gastronomy
  25. Jinju (Republic of Korea) - Crafts and Folk Art
  26. Kargopol (Russian Federation) - Crafts and Folk Art
  27. Karlsruhe (Germany) - Media Arts
  28. Kazan (Russian Federation) - Music
  29. Kırşehir (Turkey) - Music
  30. Kuhmo (Finland) - Literature
  31. Lahore (Pakistan) - Literature
  32. Leeuwarden (Netherlands) - Literature
  33. Leiria (Portugal) - Music
  34. Lliria (Spain) - Music
  35. Mérida (Mexico) - Gastronomy
  36. Metz (France) - Music
  37. Muharraq (Bahrain) - Design
  38. Mumbai (India) - Film
  39. Nanjing (China) - Literature
  40. Odesa (Ukraine) - Literature
  41. Overstrand Hermanus (South Africa) - Gastronomy
  42. Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago) - Music
  43. Portoviejo (Ecuador) - Gastronomy
  44. Potsdam (Germany) - Film
  45. Querétaro (Mexico) - Design
  46. Ramallah (Palestine) - Music
  47. San José (Costa Rica) - Design
  48. Sanandaj (Iran [the Islamic Republic of]) - Music
  49. Santiago de Cali (Colombia) - Media Arts
  50. Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) - Music
  51. Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) - Film
  52. Sharjah (United Arab Emirates) - Crafts and Folk Art
  53. Slemani (Iraq) - Literature
  54. Sukhothai (Thailand) - Crafts and Folk Art
  55. Trinidad (Cuba) - Crafts and Folk Art
  56. Valladolid (Spain) - Film
  57. Valledupar (Colombia) - Music
  58. Valparaíso (Chile) - Music
  59. Veszprém (Hungary) - Music
  60. Viborg (Denmark) - Media Arts
  61. Viljandi (Estonia) - Crafts and Folk Art
  62. Vranje (Serbia) - Music
  63. Wellington (New Zealand) - Film
  64. Wonju (Republic of Korea) - Literature
  65. Wrocław (Poland) - Literature
  66. Yangzhou (China) - Gastronomy

The UNESCO Creative Cities Network now counts a total of 246 cities.

The member cities that form part of the Network come from all continents and regions with different income levels and populations. They work together towards a joint mission: placing creativity and the creative economy at the core of their urban development plans to make cities safe, resilient, inclusive, and sustainable, in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

|GlobalGiants.Com|

— The editor is actively, effectively contributing to the enhancement of UNESCO Creative Cities Network (Division of Creativity, Culture Sector, UNESCO) since 2014.


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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 10:34 AM | View the original post






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