The DECODE project will virtually launch the European Deans Council for Sustainable Development on 3 November 2021 at 3 pm CET/10 am EST. The DECODE Council is created to support deans and other heads of academic units around Europe in their efforts to embed sustainable development in higher education. It will bring together more than 150 colleagues to exchange views, share good practices and initiatives, and learn from each other.
York University´s UNESCO Chair Charles Hopkins will share views and experience from his work in a keynote address, ranging from quality education with ESD and global citizenship to community engagement.
The event is open to registered and founding members of the DECODE project as well as interested deans and heads of departments from the higher education community in Europe, but is also open to selected experts from other regions. If you are interested in the launch, please fill in the form here.
Educon 2021 is the summit for practitioners and thought leaders from Germany and internationally. On 4-5 November 2021, the organizers will call for impulses for the future of education to drive educational innovation forward. In workshops, keynotes, panel discussions, as well as in a hackathon, educators from all backgrounds will get a voice. Participants will discuss concepts and best practice with decision-makers and leading experts to create continuous networking through digital tools and hybrid meeting places.
While the thematic focus of the conference is on German practices, international perspectives from Andreas Schleicher, Director for the Directorate of Education and Skills at the OECD, and responsible for the well-known Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), and UNESCO Chair Charles Hopkins will give keynotes to guide the discussion.
You are invited to download this new publication A whole-institution approach towards sustainability: a crucial aspect of higher education’s individual and collective engagement with the SDGs and beyond, published in the International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education on Emerald Insight. The article was written as a joint effort of the SDG 4 Group in the IAU Global Cluster of Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development (HESD). Higher education and its leadership have incredible potential for making a difference for a sustainable future for all. Learn more about the role of higher education since the beginnings of the pursuit of sustainability and how the whole-institution approach is a promising tool to show that sustainability is actually possible and can lead to a much stronger role for higher education in the global discussion. The article is available for download in an open access format.
TERA2021 is hosted by the Taiwan Education Research Association (TERA), based in the Institute of Education, National Sun Yat-sen University Taiwan and will take place on 12-13 November 2021. TERA aims to promote academic dialogue and international collaboration among educational research communities. TERA is a non-profit organization for professionals working at all levels of education committed to improving the practice of instruction as well as conducting and applying educational research. Amongst other experts from Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan, and the United States, York´s UNESCO Chairholder Charles Hopkins and Executive Coordinator Katrin Kohl will share perspectives on education research for transformative action. Please register to attend.
Co-organized by UNESCO and the Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU), and hosted by the Ministry of Education, Republic of Korea, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea, this virtual event will be a forum for discussion and promotion of transformative education and Sustainable Development Goal Target 4.7. 2,500 policy makers, education practitioners and experts will be invited to share their experience and knowledge.
On 1 December 2021, York University´s UNESCO Chair will present the findings from the second research phase in the #IndigenousESD project, sharing best practices using ESD to improve education outcomes for Indigenous children and youth. The research was used in advocating at the UN Human Rights Council at its 48th session in September 2021 to put access to quality education for all at the core of global COVID-19 recovery efforts for Indigenous communities. Plenary sessions will be streamed for the public. Sign up for information and updates on the upcoming conference.
The education sector has a unique role to play in building a greener twenty-first century. The OECD, Education International, and UNESCO have launched a joint initiative to gather teaching expertise on what makes a difference in empowering students for climate action. Taking place on 5 November 2021 at 1 pm GMT/10 am EST live at COP 26, this event seeks to present the initial insights that have emerged through several global dialogues and will highlight the potential directions that climate action in education can take going forward. Register for virtual attendance!
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) announced that the documentary film The Changing Face of Iceland was selected as an ACE (Action for Climate Empowerment) project under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. The documentary is scheduled for a screening live at COP 26 in the Blue Zone in the Davos Room (Action Room 1) on 4 November 2021 from 6:00-8:00 pm GMT.
UNESCO Chair Associate Mark Terry will be present to introduce the film and take questions after the screening. The Changing Face of Iceland is a production of the Youth Climate Report, a partner program of the UNFCCC since 2011.
It is also the third instalment in Mark Terry’s trilogy of polar documentaries. The film focuses on the impacts climate change is having on the island nation of Iceland. Touching the Arctic Circle at its north end, changes to Iceland’s glaciers, land, flora, fauna, economy, and people are examined in this documentary film. For further information on site, please contact Dr. Terry at COP 26 by email.
York University´s CIFAL and the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London, Boticário Group Foundation, SPVS Atlantic Forest Great Reserve, and Oro-Verde Tropical Forest Foundation, will co-host an in-person side event, titled Multi-level action for biodiversity and climate: Planetary challenge and lessons from Latin America, during COP 26 on 5 November 2021 at 11:30am -12:45 pm GMT. Additional international partners are the German Development Institute and Defensores de la Naturaleza.
Following the virtual preparatory event, hosted by York´s CIFAL in collaboration with their partners, with approximately 150 participants from 11 countries on 20-21 October 2021, this multi-stakeholder event focuses on strengthening biodiversity and climate linkages through joint research, policy and action. Research is presented that tracks practitioners’ experience in nature protection with examples of Ecosystem-based Adaptation finance and green recovery in Latin America.
Don’t forget to register for the 12th Global RCE Conference, the annual event of the Global Network of Regional Centres of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development (RCEs on ESD), co-hosted by RCE Scotland and the Global RCE Service Centre on 16-18 November 2021, under the theme ‘Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: action through learning in a time of global crises’. This event will be held fully online. For more details, visit the event page or register here.
The Promise of Higher Education: Essays in Honour of 70 Years of IAU
IAU launched a new book “The Promise of Higher Education: Essays in Honour of 70 Years of IAU” as part of their ongoing anniversary celebrations. The collection of 65 essays by 82 authors from all around the world, represents a fine analysis of and reflection on the past, current, and future of higher education and is a convincing testament to the work of the IAU over the years and into the future. Available online through open access, this book will take you on a tour across the global higher education landscape while addressing pertinent themes and challenges in higher education. Download your copy.
Charles Hopkins and Katrin Kohl who coordinate the SDG 4 Group in the Global Cluster of Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development (IAU HESD), contributed a chapter on aligning the promise of well-being with sustainability as a purpose of education. IAU is celebrating the book launch with several online events. Save the Date for the last launch event on Thursday, 9 December 2021 at 2:30 – 4:00 pm CET/8:30-10:00 am EST.
The China Association of Higher Education (CAHE) has announced the 2021 International Forum on Higher Education (AIFHE) will be held jointly with Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, on 10-12 December 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it will be conducted through a combination of online and offline presentations, including parallel sessions such as ‘University Presidents’ Forum, ‘Scholars’ Forum’, and ‘Doctoral Candidates’ Forum’.
The annual event has been successively held by CAHE since 2001 and has attracted top experts, scholars, university leaders and researchers from over 50 countries and more than 10,000 participants. Founded in 1983, CAHE has become the largest and the most influential national academic organization of higher education in China.
This year, UNESCO Chair Charles Hopkins will address the audience with a keynote on the future of higher education community and its crucial role in a pursuit of sustainable development. You can register here.
The Hanoi National University of Education (HNUE) will hold the Second International Conference on Innovation in Learning Instruction and Teacher Education virtually on 11-12 December 2021, with the support of the World Bank and the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training. York University´s UNESCO Chair together with the National Taiwan Normal University, a member in the International Network of Teacher Education Institutions (INTEI), is proud to partner with HNUE for this event. Registration for the event is open until 20 November 2021.
