UNESCO IESALC and Laspau launch their first joint project to train university authorities committed to sustainability

The Leadership, Management and Training Program for Sustainable Higher Education seeks to install capacities in higher education institutions (HEIs) that underpin their sustainable transformation process, marks the beginning of the cooperation agreement signed between the UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC) and Laspau, affiliated with Harvard University. To this end, both organizations, through synergies, put their international capacities and networks at the service of higher education institutions (HEIs) to develop and strengthen their efforts towards sustainability and quality education for all.

The program has two pillars: capacity building through training and technical assistance. Training is offered through a series of courses developed with an articulable logic that can be adapted to different itineraries with the purpose of providing flexibility and the possibility of different certifications. The training is complemented by technical assistance through mentoring sessions to support the implementation of sustainability of higher education institutions, from the development of integrated projects that promote social impact and recognize the commitment of universities with a “green seal”.

The program begins with the course Leadership and sustainable university governance. The course will begin in March 2023 and is aimed at rectors of the region in order to strengthen their commitment to achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda. It will be taught in hybrid mode, with sessions and workshops in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and will continue with training activities at the IESALC Digital Campus. It will have an international faculty and will be aimed at strengthening the Institutional Strategic Plan under a clear view towards the establishment of a roadmap committed to sustainability.

The authorities will have specialized mentoring that will support them in developing their integrative project, through a social and collaborative learning model, with spaces for dialogue and exchange of experiences and best practices. Finally, it will seek to consolidate an alliance or network of rectors committed to sustainability from the different dimensions of their institutions.

To initiate the collaboration framework of both organizations, a virtual panel will be held on November 28, 2022, where international experts will discuss the value of the rector’s office and sustainability.

The agreement thus enhances synergies of capacities and international networks of both organizations, to develop and strengthen sustainability and quality education for all people in the region.

The agreement between UNESCO IESALC and Laspau seeks to:

• Promote strategic alliances to strengthen education, culture and human development in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Create, promote, manage and develop initiatives that allow participants from Latin America and the Caribbean to train, teach, research and benefit from academic mobility.
• To develop distance teaching and learning modalities, through information technologies, particularly for populations with limited financial resources and rural communities.
• Develop training programs aimed at strengthening the capacities and competencies of HEI agents, such as authorities, dean’s office staff, directors, departments, administration, students, among others.
• Carry out joint actions for the promotion of scientific events in Latin America and the Caribbean that will benefit the Latin American and Caribbean Academy.
• Cooperate in all areas of research, innovation and development of teaching linked to higher education.
• To favor the mobility of professors and students oriented to improve the qualification and development of excellence in the institutions of higher education in the region.

Watch the video of the panel “The role of the rector in the development of social leadership. A commitment of Laspau and UNESCO IESALC” held on November 28, 2022: