| HIGHER EDUCATION
The Revolution of the Universities
VISION newsletter presents the project on “the future
of European universities in the global market of innovation”.
The conference was held in Turin on October, the 18th .
The Vision paper "Ranking and internationalization as triggers
of change" focuses on the merits and the limits of rankings
and on the factors explaining why international students choose
amongst different countries and universities. Both are considered
by Vision as triggers of change, whereas comprehensive reforms appear
to have failed their objectives in broader countries. At the event,
Vision also released the second edition of "The ranking
of Italian Universities".
The revolution is already happening and this time it is not (only)
about students taking over campuses all over Europe from Paris to
Rome. It is a revolution triggered by technologies that are, in
fact, already changing the way we produce and distribute the core
product of universities: knowledge. It is a change that as an American
speaker said at last week Vision conference will make universities
totally different from the ones we have today.
More information:
http://www.visionblog.eu/francescogrillo/blog/articolo.asp?articolo=74
Presentation tips for Architects, Part I
Architecture profession is all about presentations. It all started
at university in the architecture studio, a whole semester had to
be condensed into a 10-minute precise presentation in order to get
the crits to understand your project, and it continued into professional
life as the main tool to communicate with your co-workers, clients,
a jury or with other architects in a lecture.
A good presentation could get your project approved, or quickly
dismissed if you don’t plan it right. For example, a presentation
to a client compared to a presentation for a group of architects
is very different, even if the project you need to communicate is
the same.
A big help for that has been Garr Reynolds, the “Presentation
Zen” from which I haven taken some key points of which I will
share with you in order to make a good presentation, adapted to
our profession.
More information: http://www.archdaily.com/90006/presentation-tips-for-architects-part-i/
Haiti- University: Towards the creation of a Consortium
of High Education Centers
On 26-27th October 2010, a meeting between the universities and
Haiti’s university members, United States, Canada, Europe
and the Caribbean, was held in Port-au-Prince.
Haiti’s Higher Education system , which faced numerous structural
challenges and academic difficulties before January 12th, has collapsed.
The main task from now on is the reconstruction of the higher education
system, for the future economic, political and social development
of the country.
More information in French:
http://www.auf.org/regions/caraibe/actualites/haiti-universites-vers-la-creation-d-un-consortium-d-etablissements-d-enseignement-superieur.html?var=lettre_AUF_66
Research and development: USA, Europe and Japan increasingly
challenged by emerging countries, says a UNESCO report
While the USA, Europe and Japan may still be leading the
global research and development (R&D) effort, they are increasingly
being challenged by emerging countries, especially China. This is
one of the findings of the 2010 UNESCO Science Report, launched
at the Organization’s headquarters on 10 November, World Science
Day.
The UNESCO Science Report depicts a rapidly changing landscape.
While investment in R&D is growing globally (in volume)*, emerging
countries are clearly gaining strength in science and technology.
This can be seen especially in terms of Asia’s share of gross
domestic expenditure on research and development (GERD).
More information:
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/news/
Academic Impact
Academic Impact is a global initiative that aligns institutions
of higher education with the United Nations in actively supporting
ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights,
literacy, sustainability and conflict resolution. The Academic Impact
also asks each participating college or university to actively demonstrate
support of at least one of those principles each year.
The formal launch of Academic Impact took place at a two-day conference
in New York City, November 18-19, 2010.
More information:
http://academicimpact.org/index.php
"Shared Knowledge": e new webportal of AUF (Francophone
Universities Agency) at the service of the international academic
community
The Francophone Universities Agency launches its new portal
“Shared Knowledge” that offers new services
to the international academic community.
This internet portal reintroduces current scientific topics of our
websites in the region (Current Issues chapter), publishes the scientific
manifestations (Agenda chapter), and provides a unified access to
a set of academic contents and documentation (Resources chapter),
or web pages carried out by associations together with our member
universities (rubric Sitothèque).
It also provides access to the profiles of more than 6,500 researchers,
research lecturers, research students or experts classified by disciplines
or priority research fields (Directory chapter).
More information in French:
http://www.auf.org/communication-information/actualites/portail-2010.html?var=lettre_AUF_66
Singapore University of Technology and Design / UNStudio
+ DP Architects
This just in from UNStudio, Ben van Berkel, in collaboration with
DP Architects, has been chosen to design the Singapore University
of Technology and Design (SUTD). Selected from a shortlist of five
practices, UNStudio + DP Architects have created a proposal that
reflects the university’s curriculum by “using the
creative enterprise of the school to facilitate a cross-disciplinary
interface; interaction is established between the professional world,
the campus, and the community at large.”
More information:
http://www.archdaily.com/91407/singapore-university-of-technology-and-design-unstudio-dp-architects/
Why learning is the currency that counts: 40
This article, authored by UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova,
was published on the Opinion section of the 'South China Morning
Post' (Hong Kong, China) on 8 November 2010
As political leaders prepare for the G20 summit in Seoul, they are
grappling with an agenda dominated by concerns over current account
deficits, currency wars and global economic recovery. These are
critical issues. But I can't help wondering why the G20 is not doing
more to address the great human capital account deficit of our day
- the deficit in education.
More information:
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/about-us/who-we-are/director-general/articles/single-view-articles/news/why_learning_is_the_currency_that_counts_40/
EDUCATION/ COMMISSION: EU steps up academic co-operation
with the USA and Canada
Following an agreement in September 2010, the European
Commission and the governments of the USA and Canada will jointly
invest €15 million on new transatlantic education partnerships
involving 160 universities and training institutions and thousands
of students on both sides of the Atlantic. The European Union will
contribute €7.5m for the initiative, with €6m coming from
the US and €1.5m from Canada. The funding will support student
exchanges, joint degrees and better policy co-operation. The partnerships
focus on a range of fields including energy efficiency, computing
robotics, climate change, forestry management, languages and cinema
studies. In 2010, for the first time a transatlantic degree programme
"Transatlantic Forestry Master degree" is established
between the EU and Canada, which focuses on sustainable environmental
management. It will involve universities from Germany, Sweden, the
United Kingdom and Finland as well as three universities from Canada.
More information:
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/10/1109
Integrity, fraud and plagiarism: knowing it all thanks
to the University of Montreal
In the life of a student, we are faced every day and another with
cheating and plagiarism. A critical moment, the lack of hard work
and discipline, tiredness, the lack of confidence and security in
oneself can lead students to make their lives easier. Plagiarizing
a thesis, for example, is a true plague for college students. Even
more banal, the fraud of exams is a common currency in the faculty
banks. It has not been surprising to see the beginning of initiatives
to fight these more and more recurring situations in the last years.
The University of Montreal has committed to accompanying students
to fight and avoid fraud. It focuses attention on an original albeit
simple approach.
More information in French:
http://www.cursus.edu/?module=document&action=get&uid=71795
A new initiative to strengthen the links between the UN
and college students has been launched
More than 300 Vice-rectors from different universities, members
of the teaching body and students gather on Thursday at the ONU
headquarters in New York for the launching of the Academic Impact,
a UN initiative aimed at the creation of associations among the
international organization, the university word and the higher education
centres, and at the promotion of a culture of the social intellectual
responsibility. “When sharing ideas, beyond frontiers and
disciplines, it is possible to find solutions to all the problems
interrelated and which cause so much suffering all around the world”,
stated the Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon in a speech delivered
for this occasion.
More information in French:
http://www.un.org/apps/newsFr/storyF.asp?NewsID=23714
Marine Research Center in Bali / Solus 4. Bali Island,
Indonesia
Solus 4, an architectural studio headquartered in Kittery, Maine,
shared with us their proposal for the International Design Competition
for a Marine Research Center in Bali, Indonesia.
The competition, sought to address the need for tsunami research
and preparation in response to the devastation caused by the 2004
Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.
The project is an imposing fluid structure that seamlessly adapts
to its natural aquatic environment and allows visitors and scientist
to have a direct visual connection to the exterior. The program
which consists of research labs, bedrooms for scientist, seawater
pool, aquatic garden library and an auditorium would be distributed
under and over the surface of the sea.
More information:
http://www.archdaily.com/88639/marine-research-center-in-bali-solus-4/
Public consultation on the future EU programme for international
cooperation in higher education and human capital development -
Deadline for participation: 30 November
The EU strongly supports international mobility and academic
cooperation in the field of higher education. The current EU programme
in the field of international higher education cooperation (Erasmus
Mundus) will run until 31 December 2013.
To prepare a proposal for a future EU programme for international
cooperation in higher education and human capital development, responding
to current challenges and priorities, we need to start thinking
now, in the light of the experiences of existing programmes and
activities in the higher education field but also in the light of
the EU's new policy objectives (Europe 2020). .
The objective of this public consultation is to gather input from
relevant stakeholders to guide the Commission in its reflexion and
designing process of the new programme so as to ensure an adequate
response to current needs, challenges and expectations.
More information:
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/consult/higher_en.html
Channel Académie : French speaking academic radio
channel
Channel Académie is an online radio. Located in the heart
of the French Institute in Paris, it offers the servies of a weekly
programme and those of a mediateque.
More information in French:
http://www.canalacademie.com/
TOURISM
Calls for paper for Téoros. Quebec
University, Montréal (UQAM) Heritage Associations and Tourism
. Deadline: 15 January 2011
Heritage associations are generally recognized for the efforts they
make To safeguard an object, place, or practice. It Is not unusual
to find them in the front lines of an open battle. Activism, then,
takes a number of forms: media portrayals, feats in the field, and
maneuvers via the inner workings of power. Associations Act similarly
in the field of knowledge. In effect, the act of safeguarding often
requires a more in---depth understanding of the cause being defended
in order to show its unique characteristics, its value, and the
importance of conserving it. Associations May also be involved more
concretely by organizing restoration sites, whether on a small or
large scale. On Top of this already busy arena, another sphere of
activity leads associations to organize and set up tourist attractions
that revolve around heritage worthy of discovery and protection.
It Is this latter field of interest that is central to the theme
underpinning the Téoros journal.
More information: http://teoros.revues.org/323
http://universidadypatrimonio.net/doc/Appeldetextes_en.pdf
Informative Newsletter “Tourisme autrement”
Created with their own funds in October 2005, the non-profit association
was born out of a deep reflection process on the part of its founders
on the boom of tourism, the “new” frenetic consumption
and on the damage it inflicts on the climate, the environment, the
social and economic relationships in the countries of reception
while also having key financial repercussions, in their majority
on the tourism multinational enterprises of the country of origin.
More information in French:
http://www.tourisme-autrement.be
Tourism - International Conference on Creative Tourism.
9 - 10 December 2010. Barcelona, Spain
The aim of this conference is to bring together researchers, urban
planners, policy designers, artists, cultural activists and tourist
professionals to assess the benefits of international collaboration
in the rapidly developing field of creative tourism. The conference
will provide an opportunity for face-to-face networking prior to
the creation of a virtual network on the Internet. The conference
programme is designed to provide ample room for networking and discussion,
and participants will also have the opportunity to promote their
own creative tourism projects.
The conference will offer the opportunity to learn further about
creative tourism, thanks to the lecture given by Professor Greg
Richards, one of the originators of the concept, as well as to discover
a wide range of case studies of projects and urban strategies related
to this new trend. The call for papers and call for projects is
still open.
More information:
http://www.creativetourismnetwork.org/conferencia/
(in French) Colloque COOPINTOUR - Cooperation International
pour un Tourisme Responsable des Territoires. 30 November - 1er
December 2010. Université de Versailles / Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines
(UVSQ), France
Avec l’essor des arrivées internationales, qui sont
passées de 600 millions en 1990 à plus de 842 millions
en 2006 (OMT, 2008), sans oublier les flux domestiques (cinq à
six fois plus importants) en pleine émergence dans le monde
en développement, le tourisme s’est affirmé
comme un accélérateur du processus de mondialisation
et un pivot de l’attractivité des territoires. Les
collectivités territoriales ont intégré cette
double fonction en utilisant de plus en plus le tourisme comme levier
de développement local. La gestion des aires protégées
et des sites classés peut de moins en moins se penser en
dehors de cette activité, qui peut tour à tour constituer
un allié ou une menace pour la biodiversité et les
divers patrimoines. Au niveau macro-économique le tourisme
est souvent perçu, à tort ou à raison, comme
l’élément principal des stratégies de
développement dans les pays du Sud. Contact: coopintour@cemotev.uvsq.fr
More information in French: http://www.reseau-amerique-latine.fr/doc_adj/6061_appel_73_1.pdf
OTHERS
Broadcasting Place / Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios - LEEDS
(United Kingdom)
Broadcasting Place is a mixed use development close to Leeds city
centre. Bold and beautiful, the building has made a big and positive
impact on this area of central Leeds. What isn’t so immediately
obvious is the innovation and research that went into its environmental
strategy and the benefits this will bring over the coming years.
Broadcasting Place has already been described as the most notable
addition to the Leeds skyline in decades. As its oxidising surface
weathers to a deep red colour – as the Angel of the North
now has after ten years – its other virtues will become apparent:
the environmental excellence of the design, the quality of its internal
spaces, and the contribution it makes to Leeds as a walkable city.
More information: http://www.archdaily.com/61616/broadcasting-place-feilden-clegg-bradley-studios/
Launch of the UNESCO "Cultural and Creative Industries
around the World" web hub
This site is a unique gateway to online resources on the culture
and creative industries around the world. By clicking on a region
of the interactive world map (on the left of the screen), access
the biggest online hub of studies, reports, surveys and mapping
documents. This hub also gathers numerous multi-country and international
resources.
The large majority of these documents are downloadable free of charge
and available in their original language.
More information:
http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/creativeindustriesmapping
CULTURE/ EU COMMISSION: 8 new culture projects to strengthen
EU-Russian Federation cooperation
Eight joint EU-Russia culture projects covering a wide range of
themes have been selected by experts, following an open call for
proposals. A kick-off conference on the new projects, which will
be implemented between 2010 and 2012, was held on 30 September in
Moscow. The new projects cover various aspects of culture –
visual arts and contemporary music, wooden architecture, documentary
cinema, modern culture management, innovative museum practices –
and are planned to be implemented in different regions of Russia,
including Arkhangelsk, Kostroma, Moscow, Nakhodka, Perm, Pskov,
and Tula. All projects include capacity-building components (master-classes,
training modules, seminars, art residencies, internships, etc.)
and public cultural events (festivals, exhibitions, co-productions).
The total budget of the projects is €2 million and most of
them will start at the beginning of 2011 with a maximum duration
of 18 months.
More information:
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/news/news2935_en.htm
CULTURE/ EU COMMISSION: European Capitals of Culture 2016
in Poland and Spain preselected
Poland and Spain, the two Member States hosting a European
Capital of Culture in 2016, have issued their recommendations concerning
preselected cities. The selection panel appointed to assess the
cities in Poland recommended Gdansk, Katowice, Lublin, Warszawa
and Wroclaw. The selection panel appointed to assess the cities
in Spain (of which ENCATC President Cristina Ortega Nuere is part)
recommended Burgos, Córdoba, Donostia-San Sebastián,
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Segovia and Zaragoza. Once these recommendations
have been ratified by both Member States, the preselected cities
will have to flesh out and complete their applications by the summer
of 2011. Androulla Vassiliou, the European Commissioner for Education,
Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, views the potential of the European
Capital of Culture event as "in terms of urban regeneration,
creativity and job creation, and its attractiveness at European
level." The European Capitals of Culture Programme is
celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
More information:
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/doc413_en.htm
Consultation on the future of the European Capitals of
Culture (ECOC) - Deadline: 12 January 2011
2010 marks the 25th anniversary of the European Capitals
of Culture (ECoC) and there is a large consensus that in these 25
years, the ECoC have become one of the most ambitious cultural events
in Europe, both in scope and scale. They have also become one of
the most visible initiatives of the EU and probably one of the most
appreciated by European citizens.
More information:
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/doc2966_en.htm
An International Database of Cultural Policies
Sarah Gardener, Executive Director and Alan Davey, Chair the International
Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFFACA) present
their new project to develop an “International Database
of Cultural Policies.”
The idea of the project is to develop an international version of
the highly regarded Compendium of Cultural Policies and Trends in
Europe (www.culturalpolicies.net) founded by the Council of Europe
(CoE) and the ERICarts Institute. It would be a central, web-based
and continuously updated database of country-specific profiles of
cultural policies.
More information: http://www.culturalpolicies.net/
The State-of-the-art in Cultural Cooperation - Extraordinary
meeting of the South-Eastern European Ministries of Culture - Venice
- Italy - 20 November 2010
On 20 November 2010 an extraordinary meeting of the South-Eastern
European Ministries of Culture will take place in Venice, jointly
organized by the UNESCO Venice Office and the Italian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs – Directorate General for Development Cooperation.
The meeting will be hosted by the Biennale of Venice, within the
prestigious premises of the Biennale, Ca’ Giustinian (1364
San Marco).
More information:
http://www.unesco.org/en/venice/dynamic-content-single-view/news/the_state_of_the_art_in_cultural_cooperation/
New United Nations Facebook page in French
The UN has launched its new Facebook page in French. Its main objectives
are the presentation of the work carried out by the UN in situ,
the campaigns of the Secretariat and its institutions. We invite
fans, colleagues and members to join us and talk with us online.
More information in French:
http://www.facebook.com/ONU.web
VIII AFD Conference (French Development Agency) - EUDN.
1 December 2010. Paris, France
The fact that economic growth is not necessarily synonymous with
development and that GDP can grow in a country for some time without
noticeable improvement in the areas of poverty, health or education
has long been known. Yet, development continues to be measured primarily
by GDP growth and public attention continues to focus on this statistic
alone. Likewise, the fact that populations increasingly participate
in market activities is taken as a sign of progress, even though
it may come at the cost of shrinking non-market activities. The
effectiveness of development aid also continues to be evaluated
on the basis of GDP growth, although its impact on health or education
may be more important in the mediumrun. Contact: peccoudr@afd.fr
More information: http://recherche.afd.fr/jahia/Jahia/home/chercheur/pid/1904
7th Euro-american Campus on Cultural Cooperation: updated
program. 30 November - 3 December 2010. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria,
Spain
Renowned experts in the field of culture and international cooperation
have already confirmed their participation in the VII Euroamerican
Campus of Cultural Cooperation which will take place from 30 November
to 3 December 2010 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. Robert
Palmer, Jesús Martín-Barbero and Cecilia Martínez
are among the experts participating in this upcoming event which
will be dedicated to the issue of “Culture, Cooperation and
Local Development”. Their contributions, as well as that of
other experts, will make the Campus a unique opportunity for professionals
working in the field of national, regional and local cultural policies.
Contact: cyberk@interarts.net
More information: http://www.oei.es/euroamericano/euro_american/index.php
In collaboration with CHS, the Alexander S. Onassis Public
Benefit Foundation invites you to visit the e-Journal for the Athens
Dialogues Conference. 24 - 27 November 2010. Athens, Greece
In collaboration with Harvard University's Center for Hellenic Studies
(CHS), the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation invites
you to visit the e-Journal for the Athens Dialogues Conference.
This conference will take place in Athens on November 24-27 and
features presentations and interdisciplinary discussions about ideas
related to six themes:
- Identity and Difference
- Stories and Histories
- Logos and Art
- Democracy and Politeia
- Science and Ethics
- Quality of Life
The e-Journal makes it possible for these discussions to begin
now and continue well beyond the live sessions in November. In the
Athens Dialogues e-Journal you will find contributions by the speakers,
who encourage you to engage with them and other participants in
a series of online conversations. Contact: info@athensdialogues.org
More information: http://www.athensdialogues.org
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