International Association of Universities

Higher Education for Education For All (EFA).

2011-2015 Project:

IAU has been successfully advancing the idea that higher education and research should be considered as a major actor for reaching EFA and education-related MDGs. In March 2011, IAU was instrumental to have higher education and research officially recognized for the first time by the EFA High-Level Group responsible for setting the global agenda.

Nonetheless, it’s too premature to stop raising awareness and advocating for higher education participation. Consequently, this latest project will continue the work initiated within the 2008-2011 project and build on, improve and promote the information tools and capacity building sessions previously set up. More precisely, its objectives are to:

• Renew and reinforce the Reference Group to pro-actively advocate for higher education for EFA within and beyond the higher education sector;
• Enhance the IAU Portal on Higher Education and EFA (otherwise known as HEEFA) and its Newsletter to better identify and disseminate projects/experts and related information;
• Draft a model for capacity building sessions, previously piloted, and implement a series of sessions adapted to local contexts and needs;
• Follow up on already-held capacity building sessions to contribute towards systemic inclusion of higher education in EFA.

Read full project here.

Members of the 2008-2010 Reference Group have validated the project document and provided comments, some of which have been directly included in the text, others - which can be viewed here - will be used for further discussion later on.

2008-2010 Project:

In January 2008, IAU launched the project, entitled Strengthening Linkages for Improved Education: Higher Education and Research Working for EFA and education-related MDGs. It was developed on the results and conclusions from the IAU Pilot, Higher Education and Research to Meet Education For All Goals, and an Experts' Seminar, held in Maputo, Mozambique and organized in the framework of the pilot.
Embracing both EFA and education-related MDGs, this project was developed around two principle activities: capacity building and information tools. The activities included:

• Networking and creation of a Reference Group of Experts;
• A Portal to map, facilitate and promote HEI involvement in EFA-MDGs movements, including an Experts' Database and an electronic bulletin;
• An international multi-stakeholder meeting in 2010 to discuss the findings and the future of the project;
• A series of capacity-building activities to develop awareness and implementation skills in how HEI and researchers could be engaged in the EFA-MDGs movements.

Their outcomes of the project are described briefly in the Summary of Outcomes.

2005-2007 Pilot :

Carried out from 2005 to 2007, the pilot's aim was to examine the contribution made by higher education institutions to meet the EFA goals, in particular the outcomes of inter-university linkages and research cooperation between institutions in industrialized and developing countries. It was developed from IAU's belief that:

• there is insufficient knowledge about the involvement of higher education in EFA-related activities,
• that this involvement is greater than what is currently acknowledged, and
• whatever may be the level of activities, these need to be reinforced if countries are to reach the EFA programme's goals in a sustainable way.

Generating positive feedback and interest by both the higher education community and development agencies, findings revealed that little was yet known and more light still needed to be shed on this topic.

For further information: Nadja KYMLICKA, Junior Consultant; Isabelle TURMAINE, Director, Information Centre and Communication Services and Project Director