Date/Time
Date(s) - 25/04/2016
All Day
Location
Association of Indian Universities (AIU)
Categories No Categories
As public institutions, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) world-wide are being challenged to demonstrate their societal relevance through their core functions of teaching and research. With rapid growth in enrolments in post-secondary education, the issues related to social relevance of curriculum, inclusion of indigenous knowledge, access to hitherto excluded students and direct contribution to problems in their communities have gained ascendancy in India and abroad.
The 12th Five Year Plan in India places a special emphasis on social responsibility in higher education. It says that,
‘In the face of growing isolation of HEIs from society, there is a need for renewed effort for HEIs for genuinely engaging with community, conduct socially relevant research and education and foster social responsibility amongst students as part of their core mission. For this purpose, a National Initiative to Foster Social Responsibility in Higher Education would be launched. An Alliance for Community Engagement, an independent association of practitioners, academics and community leaders would be created to support its implementation’.
Following this, the University Grants Commission (UGC) started a scheme for setting up Centres of Social Responsibility & Community Engagement (CFSRCE) in selected universities. The main objectives of the scheme include promoting community-university partnerships to develop knowledge for improving the lives of the people and to encourage participatory research, and to in alliance with community based organizations in planning and execution of projects.
This area of work has been particularly emphasized by the UNESCO Chair, under all the activities and interventions that it has undertaken during its tenure. The UNESCO Chair was created was created in early 2012 and its overall priority has been to strengthen community engagement, community based research & social responsibility capacities in the global south. The Chair has pursued this objective through research, policy advocacy and capacity building activities. A full report of our activities is available on the UNESCO Chair website (https://unescochair-cbrsr.org/ ), and can be accessed at https://unescochair-cbrsr.org/unesco/pdf/resource/UNESCO_Chair_2012-16_March_16.pdf.
In line with this, a workshop to share the experiences of the UNESCO Chairs and explore its implications for the Indian Higher Education system is being organized in partnership with the Association of Indian Universities on April 25, 2016 from 10 AM to 1 PM. The venue for the workshop will be AIU House 16, Comrade Indrajit Gupta Marg, Kotla Marg, New Delhi – 110002
You are invited to participate and share your experiences in the dialogue.
RSVP:
Ms. Wafa Singh Ms. Sreedevi
PRIA AIU
+91-8470099600 +91-11-23236105
Programme design
10:00 AM – 10:30 AM: Registration
Chair: Prof Furqan Qamar, Secretary General, Association of Indian Universities
10:30 AM – 10: 45 AM: Welcome & setting the context; Dr Rajesh Tandon,Founder President, PRIA & Co-Chair, UNESCO Chair.
10:45 AM – 11:00 AM: Key lessons from around the world; Dr Budd Hall, Professor, University of Victoria, Canada & Co-Chair, UNESCO Chair & Dr Rajesh Tandon, Founder President & Co-Chair, UNESCO Chair.
11:00 AM – 11:15 AM: Emerging trends in Japanese Higher Education; Dr Takayoshi Kusago, Professor, Kansai University, Japan
11:15 AM – 11:30 AM: Potential and possibilities in Indian Higher Education System; Dr Nidhi Sabharwal, Associate Professor, Centre for Policy Research in Higher Education, National University Educational Planning & Administration (NUEPA).
11: 30 AM – 11: 45 AM: Lessons from Ambedkar University, New Delhi; Dr Surajit Sarkar; Associate Professor, Ambedkar University, New Delhi
11:45 AM – 12:45 PM: Open discussions
12:45 PM – 1:00 PM: Closing reflections by the Chair, Prof Furqan Qamar, Secretary General, Association of Indian Universities.
1:00 PM: Lunch