Future of the UNUGlobal Virtual University

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Future of the UNU-Global Virtual University

• Creating a shared vision to fulfill the
  innovative potential of online learning for
  Sustainable Development
• April 2007

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UNU-GVU

• UNU-GVU is a collaboration between UNU, UNEP,
  UNEP-GRID Arendal and AUC and is an inclusive
  program open for wide participation.

3
Unique characteristics

• Thematic focus on environment and development in
  line WSSD and the UNEP work plan Major
  contribution to DESD.
• Balance between online learning and face to face
  contacts (blended design).
• Codesign of programs between experts in the North
  and the South, with an intial focus on Africa.

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Present status UNU-GVUExisting Global Nettwork
of partners
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Present status Existing programs or programs
under development
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Established study programs and programs under
development.

• Development Management (DM) developed by AUC and
  UNU-GVU.
• first student group graduates June 2007 after 2
  years of online and blended studies.
• New funding received through the NOMA system for
  the next 3 years.
• The program revised by Ruhuna University in Sri
  Lanka, Mzumbe University in Tanzania, Mekelle
  University in Ethiopia, Makerere University in
  Uganda, KNUST in Ghana and Pretoria University
  in South Africa.
• Environment Information Management (EIM)
  developed by University of Pretoria and UNU-GVU.
  A pilot semester course has been run.
• E-teaching 1 2 online tutoring courses have
  been running for some years, and now run twice a
  year.
• Holistic Foundations for Assessment and
  Regulation of Genetic Engineering and Genetically
  Modified Organisms  (GMO biosafety) developed by
  GENØK institute at the University of Tromsø and
  UNU-GVU, now ready for testing.
• Marine Geology and Geophysics focusing on
  Law-of-the-sea Issues joint venture between the
  University of Bergen, UNEP-GRID-Arendal and
  UNU-GVU under development
• Freshwater Management in Dry Areas Program Suez
  Canal University in Egypt other universities and
  UNU-GVU. Under planning.
• Mainstreaming Education for Sustainable
  Development in Africa (MESA). UNEPs contribution
  to education for sustainable development in
  Africa
• African University Network (AFUNET). Network
  originally organised by UNU, ITU and CERN. Now
  coordinated by AAU

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Educational resources developed and available on
line

• The United Nations University and Oxford Brookes
  University has jointly developed an open
  educational resource on Strategic Environmental
  Assessment (SEA).
• UNU-GVU is in collaboration with the UN Earth
  Council offering a self instructional online
  course called Climate Change Science,
  Scenarios and Possible Impacts

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UN General Assembly 2004

• .welcomes the Universitys adoption and use of
  computer mediated dissemination and learning
  technologies .. and in particular the
  establishment of the Global Virtual University
  (GVU) which facilitates the intensification of
  activities in the areas of education and
  training,

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UNU Rector, Hans van Ginkel

• UNU has made major efforts to create a worldwide
  network of regional centres (35 established) of
  expertise in education for sustainable
  development.
• Japan, China, India, Fiji, Korea, Malaysia,
  Indonesia, Canada, Brazil, Spain Sweden, Germany,
  Senegal, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and Jordan.
• 400 RCEs can be established by the end of the
  decade.
• RCEs constitute active nodes in a Global
  Learning Space on Education for Sustainable
  Development.
• Learning materials and resources will be made
  available via the World Wide Web to students
  throughout the world.
• The UNU-GVU can play a major role with regard to
  environment and development knowledge of this
  global learning space.

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Shafqat Kakahel, UNEP Deputy Director

• Implementing online learning for educational
  systems is a relatively new field. Our experience
  in the engagement of universities in online
  learning has shown that a combination of
  appropriate and high-quality design coupled with
  comprehensive online services is a pre-requisite
  for any successful and sustainable programme on
  online learning.
• . Our engagement with the UNU-GVU during the
  pilot phase of this initiative resulted in the
  empowering of academic institutions and their
  faculty significantly to address the challenges
  of the ever changing scenario of information
  technology.

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UNU-GVU Strategy

• Strengthen multilateral collaboration on
  education for sustainable development
• Create groups of universities in the South and
  the North working together
• Establish regional centres and build capacities
  in the network to start with in Africa.
• Develop and run joint study programmes according
  to UNU-GVU standard framework
• Ensure mutual recognition of competence between
  equal partner universities.
• Ensure possibility for international recognition

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Goals for UNU-GVU 2008 - 2015

• Increasing participation and ownership by
  Southern institutions
• Create UNU Research and Training Programme (RTP)
• Collaboration between staff, secondments,
  visiting academics from the UNU-GVU Network,
  including UNEP, GRID Arendal and the partner
  universities.
• Core funding of 2 million Euros per annum until
  2015, UN Decade of Education for Sustainable
  Development
• Implement range of education for sustainable
  development projects and educational programmes
• Develop global network through synergies with
  other parts of the UNU, UNEP, GRID-Arendal, with
  other UN bodies and related international
  initiatives.

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Deliverables 2008 - 2015

• UNU RTP in Norway
• Network (up to 100 universities by 2015).
• UNU-GVU regional centres at partner universities
  (5-10 by 2015).
• Training of trainers workshops (two to one
  workshops per annum).
• E-learning projects with partner universities
• UNU-GVU Challenge partner universities
  encouraged to present project proposals for
  financial support from the UNU-GVU.
• Joint projects with i.a. GRID-Arendal, UNU Media
  Studio and the UNEP Education and Training Unit.
  
• Annual UNU-GVU Conference.
• International online tutor and course developer
  programmes.
• Masters degree programmes and short courses.

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Leveraging

• Increasing ownership by Southern partners
• Rewarding and equal collaboration
• Mutual recognition of competence
• International recognition of grades
• Sustainable development integrated in curricula
• Synergies within the UNU System
• horizontal coordination with other UNU research
  and training centres, i.e. social and human
  development (UNU-WIDER, Helsinki), innovation
  systems and development (UNU-MERIT, Maastricht),
  natural resource management (UNU-INRA, Accra)
  water, environment and health (UNU-INWEH),
  Hamilton, Ontario) and global health (UNU-IIGH,
  Kuala Lumpur).
• Synergies within the UN System
• support UN bodies such as FAO, UNDP, ITU, UNIDO,
  WHO, UNESCO in poverty eradication and
  sustainable development

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Changes since 2002

• Reorganization of the project based on
  evaluations
• Introduction of the UNU-GVU Charter
• Increasing need for higher education (expected to
  double by 2025)
• Open access to courseware introduced through MIT
• The Bologna Process making higher education
  compatible and comparable

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Long term sustainability of UNU-GVU

• NCG report recommendations
• Southern ownership
• Orientation towards NOMA stipends (ref. AUC
  example)
• Development of the UNU-GVU support centre
• Educational dimension quality and content
• Funding model RTP, Network, projects and student
  support.
• Organizational structure

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Recommendations

• (1) Framework for Collaboration The UNU-GVU
  Charter remains the basic guiding principle for
  long-term sustainability
• (2) Mission the UNU-GVU partners remain true to
  the original mission.
• (3) Governance The governance structure remains
  with strengthened southern board participation

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Recommendation ctd.

• (4) UNU-GVU Research and Training Programme a
  UNU Research and Training Programme (RTP)
  established in Norway at the UN House in Arendal,
  enhancing the synergies between AUC and
  UNEP-GRID-Arendal
• (5) Engaging African Institutions Regional
  centres, located at selected universities, with
  media/course development studios/workshops,
  challenge programme, scholarship scheme, annual
  conferences and cooperation with established
  university networks such as the MESA University
  Partnership initiated by UNEP and the RCEs on ESD
  initiated by UNU.

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UNU-GVU Regional Centre
Governance Academic Board
Funding UNU-GVU Hosting institution
Infrastructure Premises, Connectivity, Local
area network, Servers
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UNU-GVU Regional Centre

• Build on existing capacities and capabilities.
• Select and train local staff in online learning
  issues (tutoring and course development).
• Establish support functions to the regional
  network.
• Select sustainable development issue for the
  regional focus.
• Develop and run educational programs and courses
  in the region.

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Recommendations ctd.

• (6) Global Consortium/Network global network to
  co-develop and implement degree level study
  programmes and short courses to be made
  accessible via the UNU-GVU
• Growing number of UNU-GVU partners sharing
  expertise and experience on pedagogical
  approaches, content and instructional design
  methodologies, course implementation, quality
  assurance and course evaluation.
• Network expansion by developing initiatives,
  eventually also in other regions of the world
  including Asia, the Pacific, Central and South
  America.
• Build global networks, synergies and
  inter-linkages with initiatives of the existing
  UNU network of institutions including the growing
  network of Regional Centres of Expertise in
  Education for Sustainable Development, as well as
  with other UN bodies, primarily UNEP and UNESCO

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Recommendations ctd.

• (7) Core Resources the UNU-GVU partners require
  2 million Euros per annum until 2015. This
  funding is broken down into four key areas
• UNU-GVU RTP
• UNU-GVU Network
• Projects promoting innovation and development of
  e-learning and educational programmes on
  environment and development issues
• Student support

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Budget break down
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The need for agreements
Statutes Norway-UNU
MoU UNU-GVU GRID-Arendal
MoU Norway-UNU-UNEP Continuation of existing
agreement
House Rental UNU-GVU - UN-House
Host country agreement Norway-UNU