A virtual workshop on "Strengthening Networking in Quality Assurance in Africa and Developing Continental Mutual Recognition Guidelines for Quality Assurance Agencies" was held to advance the implementation of Component 3 of the UNESCO-Shenzhen Funds-in-Trust Project in Africa (UNESCO-SFIT Project in Africa), and to develop and approve the Mutual Recognition Guidelines for Quality Assurance and Qualifications in Africa.
May 23rd
Shenzhen Municipal People's Government and UNESCO signed the Framework Agreement of Funds-in-Trust.
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Asia project was launched at Royal University of Phnom Penh in Cambodia and University of Colombo in Sri Lanka respectively.
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SFIT Africa Project Launch Meeting was held in UNESCO Headquarter in Paris.
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UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Seminar on MOOCs for Higher Education was held in Shenzhen, China.
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The Africa project mid-term evaluation meeting and phase-three launching ceremony were held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
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Asia project was concluded on the UNESCO-Shenzhen Funds-in-Trust: Regional Consultation on ICT-driven Innovation in Higher Education in Asia-Pacific held in Shenzhen, China.
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The UNESCO Policy Brief Building ecosystems for online and blended learning: Advancing equity and excellence in higher education in the Asia-Pacific was formally released.
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The UNESCO-SFIT Africa Project Outcome Meeting was successfully held at the 2022 World Higher Education Conference (WHEC2022) in Barcelona, Spain.
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In May 2015, the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government and UNESCO signed the "Framework Funds-in-Trust Agreement between UNESCO and the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, the People's Republic of China, Regarding Support to UNESCO's Activities in Favor of Higher Education Development in Asia and Africa". As a result, the UNESCO-Shenzhen Funds-in-Trust (SFIT) (hereinafter referred to as the "fund") was set up, with $2 million funding from the Shenzhen government and UNESCO. In addition, a UNESCO Category 2 Center International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI, Shenzhen, China) was also established to carry out work in international higher education.
UNESCO-SFIT in Asia focuses on ICT-driven higher education innovation and university capacity building. This part was implemented by UNESCO Bangkok Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education in Cambodia and Sri Lanka. UNESCO-SFIT in Africa focuses on quality assurance in higher education. This part was implemented by the Higher Education Office of UNESCO Headquarters at 10 African countries (Egypt, Gambia, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Togo, Mali, Niger, Zambia, Malawi, Namibia) to build quality assurance institutions and mechanisms in higher education. As a fund for promoting cooperation in international higher education for developing countries established by the Shenzhen Municipal Government in partnership with UNESCO, it has received extensive attention from the UNESCO system, Asian and African countries, and the international higher education community. In particular, it has been highly praised by the governments of the two Asian countries and ten African countries as well as pilot universities that have directly benefited from the fund. Such positive recognition means that the fund is a paradigm of international cooperation in higher education and is playing a leading and exemplary role in the region. The Asia part concluded in September 2019; and the Africa part of the project was concluded in 2022.UNESCO assessed that the project has played a unique and significant role in supporting UNESCO to fulfil its higher education duties, and has become a model of South-South cooperation. -
During the project, a new self-assessment framework on blended learning for quality higher education was piloted in Cambodia and Sri Lanka (see Blended Learning for Quality Higher Education). A second component of the project focused on the role of MOOCs in Asia-Pacific.
Flagship Projects
