It also serves as a clearinghouse forthe dissemination and sharing of information and knowledge, while helpingmember states to build their human and institutional capacities. We will continue tosupport UNESCO and our newly formed UNESCO-Microsoft Task Force on HigherEducation and ICT in every way we can.”Additional information about the Microsoft resources available can be found at http:// UNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)is the UN agency responsible for the promotion of international cooperation inthe fields of education, science, culture and communication. “This program makes technology resources more accessible than everbefore to governments and students across the world. “We believe that technology has a vital role to play in building up21st-century skills, broadening access to education and personalizing thelearning experience to adapt teaching to the unique needs of each learner,”said Michael Golden, corporate vice president, Education Products Group atMicrosoft. Under the umbrellaof the UNESCO-Microsoft Task Force on Higher Education and ICT and through theMicrosoft Education Alliance , Microsoft will provide a tailored package ofresources for short-term higher education enhancements, including curriculum,training and affordable access to collaboration and development software.
“Through the creation of the UNESCO-MicrosoftTask Force on Higher Education and ICT we will help mobilize criticalstrategic resources to better assist ministries of education worldwide.”Initial ICT Resource MobilizationThe current economic downturn combined with rising demand for higher educationplaces governments under enormous pressure to fund enhancements in highereducation and support programs needed to train the next generation of workforces with the new skills necessary for economic recovery. Our focus has been on ensuring that tertiary institutionsaddress the key long-term requirements of our increasingly knowledge-basedsocieties and that students today are best equipped to drive and supporteconomic growth and to address major development challenges from education tohealth to the environment,” said Nicholas Burnett, UNESCO assistantdirector-general for education. “Higher education is increasingly strategic for building up skilled workforces in countries. Many delegations in attendance fromdeveloping regions emphasized the longer-term challenges of sustainable highereducation reform and capacity-building.The UNESCO-Microsoft Task Force on Higher Education and ICT will analyze thefindings and recommendations of the WCHE, in addition to feedback from globalhigher education experts and stakeholders, to identify key initiatives thatwill promote more effective use of ICT in post-secondary teaching, learningand research. The WCHE is alsofocusing on critical issues around reduced funding for education globally as aresult of the economic crisis and the need for governments to find affordablemeasures for short-term skills training and work force enhancement in supportof economic recovery and growth. (Logo: http://)(Logo: http://)The announcement was made at the UNESCO World Conference on Higher Education(WCHE), which opened today and is being attended by close to 100 ministers ofeducation, senior education officials and policy advisors.
The UNESCO-Microsoft Task Force on HigherEducation and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) will create astrategic plan of action to identify how ICT can be used by governments as acatalyst for change. A new,updated report will be issued annually on the basis of the most recent insightsand developments and in conjunction with Global MVT Index scoring updates. Fax: 646-607-1907Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Copyright Business Wire 2009. UNESCO and Microsoft Announce Higher Education ICT Task Force for Long-TermSkills and Sustainable DevelopmentCollaboration to promote greater access and use of ICT for higher educationenhancements.PARIS, July 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — The United Nations Educational,Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Microsoft Corp. todayannounced a joint task force to help higher education institutions worldwidemeet the growing challenge of supporting economic stimulus efforts andwork-force development strategies. The report is 12 pages in length with multiple graphs, charts and tables.
