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The 5th GUNi Report

A Ground-Breaking Publication:

Rajesh Tandon, Guest Editor: “What kinds of knowledge, knowledge epistemologies and knowledge ecologies are required to transform the world into a place of peace, happiness, just and equity for citizens of the world?’"

Pauline Gonzalez-Pose, UNESCO , “…This report brings to the forefront …issues…on how to transform higher education to exercise it social responsibility to citizens and society locally and globally"

David Malone, Rector of the United Nations University, “The 5th GUNi Higher Education in the World is a major contribution to exploring the vital role that can be played by higher education in driving social change”

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are active players in contributing to social change and the creation of another possible world. HEIs are active players as well in spreading current paradigms, perceptions of reality and beliefs. HEI’s educate the future generation of citizens that meanwhile will carry their professional activity they will at the same time deal with human problems. The shadow of pressing global issues could be seen in every single decision we made every day. Making clear this connection in our education systems is one of the key points for a responsible education of the global citizenry. Individuals create society as it is. Thus going deeper in what is the current exchange of value between society and HEIs institutions is a matter of high priority in terms of social responsibility worldwide.

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are active players in contributing to social change and the creation of another possible world. HEIs are active players as well in spreading current paradigms, perceptions of reality and beliefs. HEI’s educate the future generation of citizens that meanwhile will carry their professional activity they will at the same time deal with human problems. The shadow of pressing global issues could be seen in every single decision we made every day. Making clear this connection in our education systems is one of the key points for a responsible education of the global citizenry. Individuals create society as it is. Thus going deeper in what is the current exchange of value between society and HEIs institutions is a matter of high priority in terms of social responsibility worldwide. - See more at: http://www.guninetwork.org/resources/he-articles/why-a-report-on-community-university-engagement#sthash.pobEtmzS.dpuf

 

Report Index and Authors

HEIW-5

Dr. Bud Hall (Canada) at the University of Victoria and Dr. Rajesh Tandon (India), President of the Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) that jointly appointed The UNESCO Chair in Community-Based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education have been the guest editors of this edition.

The Report is a collective work. 73 authors from 34 countries of all the world regions have contributed to this edition. The index of the report and the authors could be found here.

The report is a product of three years research, consultations, academic seminars and an international conference. The report and the associated conference Let’s Build Transformative Knowldege to Drive a Social Change has been a collective project of hundreds of women and men from more than 60 nations. In it have contributed students, administrators, foundation leaders, government officials, researchers, social movement activists, professors, networkers and more.

 

Objectives of the Report

  • The 5th GUNi World Report looks at critical dimensions in our understanding of the roles, and potential roles, of higher education institutions (HEIs) as active players in contributing to the main pressing issues and social change.
  • The first aim is to look at our changing understandings about who the agents of knowledge creation are and how the creation, distribution and use of knowledge are linked to our aspirations for a better world.
  • The second aim is to provide visibility for and critically examine one of the most significant trends in higher education over the past 10–15 years: the growth of the theory and practice of engagement as a key feature in the evolution of higher education.

The aims of Higher Education in the World 5 are to:

a) Illustrate, describe and analyze the current concept of community university engagement and social responsibility in both levels, global and regional.

b) Identify differences and similarities within the different world regions. Illustrating peculiarities among countries and providing a current territorial and thematic map about how HEIs are engaged with society.

c) Illustrate how HE Institutions have linked with society. Presenting the different practices, mechanisms and structures, including the impact of engagement in teaching, learning, research and institutional activities.

d) Identify how the social actors are involved in the engagement practices and interact with HEIs, including leadership, participation and decision making process.

e) Propose steps for advancing the contribution of CUE to building a more just, equitable and sustainable society.

f) Offer a tool box for higher education practitioners through examples of good practices, innovations, relevant experiences and/or projects to move forward.

 

Contents and Structure of the Report

The report is structured into six sections: (1) The context, (2) Global Issues on Knowledge, Engagement and Higher Education, (3) Research on Knowledge, Engagement and Higher Education. (4) Regional Developments, (5) Future Visions and Agenda for Action and (6) Further Reading.

 

PART I. THE CONTEXT

This part is dealing with the context of the world’s current situation and the main trends and facts of the higher education systems around the world.

PART II. GLOBAL ISSUES

This part presents a current analysis of the global issues on knowledge, engagement and higher education. The section is structured as follows:

II.1 Community University-Engagement

II.1.1 Definitions, meanings and policy frameworks of community-university engagement worldwide

II.1.2 Current ways and practices of engagement

II.1.3 Institutional structures supporting community-university engagement. Dynamics in partnerships and main networks.

II.2 Knowledge in a new era

II.2.1 The use of knowledge for a re-conceptualized human progress

II.2.2 Changes in the way we handle, use, build and understand knowledge

II.2.3 All the knowledge counts: The value of indigenous knowledge

II.3 Knowledge for and with society

II.3.1 Knowledge democracy, collective intelligence and cognitive justice

II.3.2 Community and civil society as sources of knowledge

II.3.3 Knowledge and political decision-making: The governance of intelligent territories

II.4 University social responsibility

II.5 Engagement beyond the third mission

II.6 Rebuilding the engaged university

PART III. RESEARCH on Knowledge, Engagement and Higher Education

Results from the research on knowledge, engagement and higher education carried out by GUNi analysing more than 300 experiences all around the world.

PART IV. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS

The Report includes a analysis of the state of the art of all world regions:

North America& Canada, Latin America & Caribe, Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, Arab States and Asia & the Pacific.

This part illustrates how the different regions have linked higher education with society trough engagement. Each region is complemented with a sub-regional analysis, a selection of trending topics, a reference to the networks related to community engagement in each region and a selection of good practices. Therefore, each chapter includes:

  • Regional chapter
  • Inside view (sub-regional or country analysis)
  • Spotlight issues on the region
  • Regional networks on the topic
  • Good practices

PART V. FUTURE VISIONS AND AGENDA FOR ACTION

This section include a final article compiling the main ideas presented by the different authors complemented with a proposal of further steps for advancing the contribution of higher education towards the co-creation of knowledge and its engagement with society.

PART VI. FURTHER READING


 

 

 

Read more:

“Knowledge, engagement and higher education, a matter of social responsibility”. At: http://www.guninetwork.org/resources/he-articles/why-a-report-on-community-university-engagement

GUNi 2013 Conference Highlights: “Let’s build transformative knowledge to drive social change”- See more at: http://www.guninetwork.org/resources/he-articles/GUNi%202013%20Conference%20Highlights

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