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UNESCO IESALC’s participation in #WHEC2022 | Round Table: The Role of UCSIS in leveraging HEIs in the Small Island Developing States and its diaspora to achieve Sustainable Development

Name: UNESCO IESALC’s participation in #WHEC2022 | Round Table: The Role of UCSIS in leveraging HEIs in the Small Island Developing States and its diaspora to achieve Sustainable Development
Start: 2022-05-18T16:15:00+02:00
End: 2022-05-18T17:30:00+02:00

18 May, 2022 hora: 4:15 pm - 5:30 pm

Within the framework of the UNESCO World Higher Education Conference 2022, UNESCO IESALC will take part in the Round Table: The Role of the University Consortium of Small Islands States (UCSIS) in leveraging Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and its diaspora to achieve Sustainable Development at 16:15-17:30 (Spain time) on May 18, 2022.

Higher Education plays a major role in equipping members of society with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to shape a sustainable future for SIDS. However, the complex vulnerabilities and challenges faced by SIDS and its institutions such as the limited resources require creative solutions for building capacity such as using cross regional cooperation to maximize the use of resources and expertise, sharing of training opportunities and lessons learnt in Higher Education and connecting them to efforts to achieve sustainable development.

As a part of the renewal process of UCSIS an online survey was conducted with Higher Education institutions (HEI) in SIDS (December 2021 to February 2022) which aimed to mobilize their broader participation. Additionally, the founding members of UCSIS prepared a document on the lessons learnt and achievements from the first phase of the consortium. Also, an online consultation (two sessions) on the Revitalization of the University Consortium of Small Islands States (UCSIS): on 15 February 2022 for the Caribbean and Atlantic, Indian Ocean and South China Regions, and on 16 February 2022 for the Pacific Region. The event was organized by UNESCO, in collaboration UNDESA, UNOHRLLS and the University of Delaware, and in consultation with the founding members of UCSIS. It aimed to collect inputs from the HEI in SIDS and its diaspora to feed the elaboration of the strategy for the revival of the Consortium. The next step in the revitalization process is the finalization of the strategy which will provide guidance and future directives for UCSIS.