U2NESCO 2017
CHAIR REPORT
Committee: Education Committee
Agenda: On measures to implement common global application standards for higher level education
Officer: Louis Liu
Introduction
This topic is a new idea that built on the achievements of the MDG, developed on the ideas of
SDG 4, promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. When we look at the history, UN workers have
been planning this since the 1960s promoting the higher education learning opportunity. At 2015, SDG
was established. Sustainable Development Goals 4.4 indicates, “by 2030, substantially increase the
number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for
employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship”. In a simple form, equal opportunities to learn key skills
will provide doors for people to access employment and better quality of life. To achieve this goal, access
to university is vital which within a few choices and the cost is way too much for applicants. To solve this
problem, we are creating an International higher education application standard in a common app for
global institutes to ensure everyone will have a chance to enroll in the higher education institute,
especially care for those who are in LEDCs and can’t afford the money to go universities abroad. By this
common app, people from LEDCs would have greater enrollment in higher education whereby people can
learn about more knowledge to further develop their countries to fully achieve the SDG in all ways.
Notice that this global common app hasn’t been created yet, so are those standards you will be creating.
Thus, this topic requires delegates to be creative and think fully about the current situation we are facing
with.
The map is cropped and roughly photoshopped by the chair from “Higher Education in Developing
Countries: Peril and Promise” which can be found below in the Resource Section.
The map shows the percentage in tertiary enrollment ratios globally. According to the map, people in
MEDCs are more likely to be enrolled in higher education. However, there are also regional trends, and
numbers of countries have different enrollment ratios than might be expected on the basis of per-capita
income.
Definition of Key Terms:
1. Tertiary Education: The World Bank define it as postsecondary education, which includes
universities and institutions teach specific skills, community colleges, and distance-learning
centers.
2. SDG 4: Sustainable Development Goal, made at the year of 2015, this goal and other SDGs are
the UN main working area for the next 15 days. According to World Merit and U2NESCO, SDG
4 is an education goal that focuses on “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and
promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all”. This goal is the key to achieving other 16 goals.
3. Common Global Application: This is what we need to create standards for. It should be a
platform where students from all over the world can apply for global colleges on this app.
4. LEDC: Low economic developed countries, in another form, developing countries which usually
don’t have enough education resources for their citizens.
5. MEDC: More economic developed countries, in another form, developed countries which usually
have abundant education resources.
6. Drain Brain: The emigration of highly trained or intelligent people from a particular country. This
issue is causing many developing countries losing their intelligent people while the LEDCs
governments are spending a lot on those people’s education abroad.
History
Date:
Major Event
1962
Conference on the Development of Higher Education in Africa, Tananarive.
1978
International Conference to adopt the Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas
and Degrees in Higher Education in the Arab States, Paris.
1979
International Conference to adopt the Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas
and Degrees concerning Higher Education in the States belonging to the Europe Region,
Paris.
1980s
Governments and donors focus less on higher education.
1978, 1979,
1981(twice)
International Conference to adopt the Regional Convention on the Recognition of Studies,
Certificates, Diplomas, Degrees and other Academic Qualifications in Higher Education in
the Arab States, Europe Region, African States and “Asia and the Pacific”.
1993
Adoption by UNESCO's General Conference of a Recommendation on the Recognition of
Studies and Qualifications in Higher Education.
1997
Regional conferences on higher education (preparations for the World Conference) in Africa,
the Arab States, Asia and Europe.
October. 9th, 1998
World Conference on Higher Education: Higher Education in the Twenty-first century.
2000
“MDG (Millennium Development Goal) 2 on Education: Achieve Universal Primary
Education” was made.
2015
Enrolment in primary education in developing regions has reached 91%.
2015
“SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) 4 on Education: Ensure inclusive and equitable
quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” was made.
19-22 May 2015
World Education Forum held in Incheon, Republic of Korea, Incheon Declaration was made
during the forum. Major Parties Involved:
1. MEDCs: For example, The US higher education application is built on the common app for most
of the schools. Each school has different requirements but they are all looking for the criteria in
the common app, such as essays, event experience, leadership, SAT, and ACT score, English
proficiency test score for international students. MEDCs around the world are countries that often
be chosen as the first target for international students. Meanwhile, the delegate should also
consider whether they can take more from other country or restrict the position in order to provide
more chance for its own citizens.
2. LEDCs: Many LEDCs are lacking financial support and resources for teachers and learning
communities, thus don’t have the abilities to provide everybody an equal chance to apply for
higher education. To solve this problem, the first step is seeking for international cooperation and
help which the other side are usually MEDCs. Therefore, creating an affordable common app
standard will be vital. Also notice that some developing countries do have extra ability to take in
international students, such as China and Russia.
3. UN: UN is playing an important role in coordinating with each country to let them agree on a
reasonable solution that benefits all of the member countries. The chair is trying to reach out to
the UNESCO education development group to provide delegates more information on this topic.
Past Action
Since this is a new idea, there isn’t any specific measurement was put on to create a common app
standards. But there are few things were done that help us building these standards. Back in the 1960s,
world leaders have been discussing how to promote higher education worldwide. Due to the cold war and
other issues, the government paid less attention to this issue. From the 1960s to 1990s, the system worked
really slowly to come up with the “global recognition Studies, Certificates, Diplomas, Degrees and other
Academic Qualifications” which only includes a certain amount of countries and didn’t hit the target of
providing the chance. Instead, it provides the opportunities for people to work abroad which cost a certain
amount of brain drain in LEDCs. Until now this system hasn’t worked very well in the real world that
people seldom know about it. The turning point is at 1998, after the celebration of higher education at the
world conference. UN workers cooperated with member states working on solving the prerequisite of
higher education. Apparently, MDG was a huge success on achieving the primary education goal. Follow
the MDG, SDG emphasize secondary education to let children have the knowledge to apply for higher
education. More than that, international training courses in developing countries are being conducted by
UN and some NGOs. Subsequently expanding the number of global scholarships available to these
countries are also leading by LEDCs’ government and charity groups.
Possible Solutions
The topic says, “On measure to implement”. First of all, what standards each country want to add
in the resolution should base on your country's’ policy. This should especially focus on teaching language
and student’s language skill, academic performance (including what academic test should be used, how to
calculate Average performance at school), enrollment for people with disability and so on. Then, identify
the current situation of the education community, to implement, these problems are vital to solving. The
financial problem (scholarship, government support), job visa, drain brain in LEDCs, the capacity of
higher education. Delegates can also solve these issues by technology, such as online courses for higher
education certification. Furthermore, let’s not forget institutions which teach special techniques are also
count as a part of higher education, this kind of education is a strong basis to develop a country’s
economy. Delegates may write about their measurement to target the prerequisites and future of the
higher education in LEDCs, such as secondary education and drain brain issue. But it shall not be the
main part of a resolution.
Resources Section
1. UN Website on SDG 4 (Targets, Indicators of SDG 4 and latest news of the progress):
http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/education/
2. Global Education Monitoring Report website (Latest report on each country's education situation)
http://en.unesco.org/gem-report/
3. “EDUCATION FOR ALL 2000-2015: achievements and challenges” (Your country's’ progress
on achieve education goals): http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002322/232205e.pdf
4. “International Standard Classification of Education ISCED 2011” (Initially developed by
UNESCO in the 1970s, adopted in 2011, it compiles and presents education statistics both
nationally and internationally. Pg.48-54 includes the information about tertiary education we
need): http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/Documents/isced-2011-en.pdf
5. “Higher Education in the Twenty-First Century: Vision and Action” (This document brings out
the challenging the global community is facing with higher education and provides working area,
possible solutions in its articles. Article 3, 8, 13, 14, 15, 17 and following “Framework” could be
a great help on writing resolutions.)
http://www.unesco.org/education/educprog/wche/declaration_eng.htm
6. “Implementing the Right to Education: A Compendium of practical examples” (It provides
examples of problems most developing countries is facing with and the solution of how they
overcome this challenges. It’s very useful for your country’s stance, policy research and
speeches.) http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002451/245196e.pdf
7. “Higher Education in Developing Countries: Peril and Promise” (This document specifically
describes the situation of higher education in developing countries and how the system works. At
the end of this document also includes the enrollment, financial input of each countries)
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EDUCATION/Resources/278200-1099079877269/5476641099079956815/peril_promise_en.pdf
8. “Making Sense of MOOCs: A Guide for Policy-Makers in Developing Countries” (This is a
policy making guidelines about online courses for all those people in LEDCs who can’t afford the
cost of going abroad. If your delegation country is a LEDC, it will be a great help on making
resolution) http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002451/245122E.pdf
9. “Incheon Declaration and Framework for Action: for the implementation of Sustainable
Development Goal 4” (UN working area orientation of education in the next 15 years)
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002456/245656E.pdf
10. “Incheon Declaration” in all 6 languages.
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002338/233813m.pdf
Bibliography
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siteresources.worldbank.org/EDUCATION/Resources/278200-1099079877269/5476641099079956815/peril_promise_en.pdf. Accessed 11 Dec. 2016.
2. IBE-UNESCO. “Global Monitoring of Target 4.7: Themes in National Curriculum Frameworks.”
UNESDOC, UNESCO, Oct. 2016, unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002463/246382e.pdf.
Accessed 11 Dec. 2016.
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4. “Incheon Declaration and Framework for Action for the implementation of Sustainable
Development Goal 4.” UNESDOC, UNESCO, 22 May 2015,
unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002456/245656E.pdf. Accessed 11 Dec. 2016.
5. “Incheon Declaration Education 2030.” UNESDOC, UNESCO, 22 May 2015,
unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002338/233813m.pdf. Accessed 11 Dec. 2016.
6. “International Standard Classification of Education: ISCED 2011.” UIS, UNESCO, 2012,
www.uis.unesco.org/Education/Documents/isced-2011-en.pdf. Accessed 11 Dec. 2016.
7. Patru, Mariana, and Venkataraman Balaji, editors. “Making Sense of MOOCs: A Guide for
Policy-Makers in Developing Countries.” UNESDOC, UNESCO, 2016,
unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002451/245122E.pdf. Accessed 11 Dec. 2016.
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Report, 2009, en.unesco.org/gem-report/sdg-goal-4.
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unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002455/245559e.pdf. Accessed 11 Dec. 2016.
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgZIBD7H_IQ. Accessed 5 Dec. 2016.
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PwNbthtRz0. Accessed 7 Dec. 2016.
12. ---, editor. “SDG 4 Data Webinar Series - Part IV.” YouTube.com, 6 Oct. 2016,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=udoyHkx8ox0. Accessed 7 Dec. 2016.
13. UNESCO, UNESCO, editor. “SDG 4 Data Webinar Series - Part III.” YouTube.com, 22 Sept.
2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuJRDh6gDqk&gl=US. Accessed 5 Dec. 2016.
14. WORLD CONFERENCE ON HIGHER EDUCATION. “Higher Education in the Twenty-First
Century: Vision and Action.” UNESCO, 9 Oct. 1998,
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15. World Merit, editor. “United Nations SDG4 Explained!” YouTube.com, 5 Jan. 2016,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrcI7OtHowo. Accessed 5 Dec. 2016.
Contact Information
Louis Liu from Nansha College Preparatory Academy (NCPA)
Tel: (+86) 13715222388
WeChat ID: louis_liu1102
Please feel free to contact me if you have any question or add my WeChat to get the updates from the
UNESCO Official if he replies me.