第三届世界高等教育大会中国咨询研讨会在杭州顺利召开

(English version below)

4月24日，主题为“面向2030的中国与世界高等教育”的第三届世界高等教育大会 (WHEC 2021) 国家高等教育政策咨询研讨会在浙江大学顺利召开。研讨会由中国联合国教科文组织全国委员会和浙江大学联合主办，教科文组织浙江大学创业教育教席、教科文组织中国创业教育联盟及浙江大学联合国教科文组织研究中心承办，并由教科文组织驻华代表处和浙江传媒学院支持举办。来自教科文组织、中国政府、研究机构和高等教育机构的代表、专家、学者和学生出席了会议。活动通过线上线下相结合的方式，5000余人参加了本次会议。

此次国家高等教育政策研讨会的主要目标是为高等教育未来发展的讨论提供中国的视角，并重点关注国内高等教育中的关键问题，例如高等教育政策、公平、创新、治理、伙伴关系、资格认可和认证、质量保证和终身学习。研讨会的结果将有助于2021年10月7至9日在西班牙巴塞罗纳举行的第三届世界高等教育大会。 

研讨会开幕式由浙江大学教育学院副院长阚阅教授主持。浙江大学党委副书记邬小撑教授、联合国教科文组织浙江大学创业教育教席主持人，浙江传媒学院校长徐小洲教授、联合国教科文组织驻华代表处主任夏泽翰（Shahbaz Khan）教授和联合国教科文组织驻华代表处教育官员裴伯庸（Robert Parua）先生发表开幕致辞。

夏泽翰对教科文组织浙江大学创业教育教席的宝贵工作表示赞赏，并称该教席已成为姐妹大学网络项目/联合国教科文组织教席计划框架内非常成功的典范。其后，他对最近在浙江大学新成立的联合国教科文组织研究中心表示祝贺，并强调联合国教科文组织将与该中心密切合作，进一步加强双方伙伴关系。他在发言中指出，教育改变生活，也是教科文组织建设和平、消除贫困和推动可持续发展的全球使命的核心。第三届世界高等教育大会在这个日渐复杂和充满不确定性的时代中提供了一个国际讨论平台，让我们重新想象知识和学习能够如何塑造人类与地球的未来。世界需要了解中国高等教育体系的改革，以及中国为建设以科学、技术和创新为重点的世界一流大学所做的努力，这些努力为中国的快速经济增长做出了重大贡献。 

裴伯庸先生指出，此次全国研讨会将为第三届世界高等教育大会提供宝贵的贡献。中国对高等教育未来的看法对于推动全球讨论非常重要，全国研讨的建议将有助于编写第三届世界高等教育大会的政策建议指南。

其后，此次会议对中国高等教育的现状进行重审，分享了高等教育各方面的知识和经验，并探讨了重塑高等教育的思想和战略。教育专家和学者就高等教育的三个主题分享了见解: 高等教育治理的平等、质量、责任和改革；高等教育流动性、共享机制、伙伴关系和国际合作；以及高等教育创新、企业家精神和可持续发展。 

关于第三届世界高等教育大会： 

作为实现可持续发展目标4的主要联合国机构，教科文组织从人权角度出发，在尊重生命和人类尊严、平等权利、社会正义、文化多样性、国际团结和对可持续未来的共同责任的基础上，努力实现受教育权。在这一框架内，教科文组织将在2021年10月7至9日于西班牙巴塞罗那举办第三届世界高等教育大会（WHEC 2021）。该会议旨在重塑高等教育的理念和实践，以确保地球和人类的可持续发展。 

如果高等教育和大学是今天发明的——它们会是什么样子？学生们会怎么学习？他们会在哪里学习？他们需要获得哪些知识、技能和价值观才能有尊严地工作、生活并成为全球公民？谁将参与并完成他/她的高等教育？第三届世界高等教育大会(WHEC 2021)将汇集所有利益相关方（包括青年、私人利益攸关方、学术界、高等教育机构和教科文组织网络），为高等教育体系和机构的未来绘制路线图，打破传统的高等教育模式，为革新的、创造性的和有远见的理念打开大门。这些理念不仅服务于当前的全球可持续发展议程，而且为面向所有人、包容所有终身学习者的未来学习社区铺平道路。此外，这次会议讨论将应对人类和地球所面临的危机和挑战，并特别关注新冠疫情造成的全球混乱。 

了解更多：

• 2021 世界高等教育大会 – 主页

  https://en.unesco.org/news/world-higher-education-conference-2021 

• 教科文组织在高等教育领域中的工作

  https://zh.unesco.org/themes/higher-education 

• 2009年第二届世界高等教育大会 – 英文报告

  https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000189242

• 浙江大学微信公众号推文 - 第三届世界高等教育大会国家高等教育政策咨询研讨会顺利召开

  https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/__qkWVEngTj9BislnUlcRQ 

China national consultation meeting for third World Higher Education Conference 2021 held in Zhejiang University, Hangzhou on 24 April 2021

On April 24th, the World Higher Education Conference (WHEC 2021) National Consultation Meeting under the theme “Higher Education in China and the World towards 2030” was successfully held in Zhejiang University. The consultation meeting was jointly hosted by the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO and Zhejiang University, and organized by the UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurial Education at Zhejiang University and the recently established UNESCO Research Centre at Zhejiang University, and supported by the UNESCO Beijing Cluster Office, the Higher Education Section at UNESCO Headquarters, the Ministry of Education of China and the Communication University of Zhejiang. Representatives, experts, scholars and postgraduate students from UNESCO, the government, research institutes, and higher education institutions in China attended the conference. The in-person event was livestreamed online and reached over 5,000 audience participants. 

The overall aim of the consultation is to provide the Chinese perspective on the future of higher education sharply focused on key issues of higher education including policy, equity, innovation, governance, partnership, qualification recognition and accreditation, quality assurance and lifelong learning. The outcome of the national consultation will contribute towards the third WHEC 2021, which will take place in Barcelona, Spain from 7th – 9th of October, 2021. 

Dr Kan Yue, Deputy Dean of College of Education, Zhejiang University, moderated the opening session of the conference. The Opening remarks were presented by Professor Wu Xiaocheng, Vice Secretary of the Zhejiang University CCP Committee; Professor Xiaozhou Xu, Chair holder of the UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurial Education at Zhejiang University and President of Communication University of Zhejiang; Professor Shahbaz Khan, Director of UNESCO Beijing Cluster Office; and Mr. Robert Parua, Education Programme Specialist from UNESCO Beijing Office. 

Professor Khan acknowledged and appreciated the valuable work done by the UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurial Education at Zhejiang University which had become a very successful model within the framework of the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme. He congratulated the recent establishment of the UNESCO Research Centre at Zhejiang University and its approvals from the Chinese National Commission and Ministry of Education, and reassured that UNESCO will closely work with the Centre to advance its research agenda. He stressed that the China national consultation was organized at the right moment in the backdrop of COVID-19 and aligned with the implementation of SDG4, target 4.3 and the Education 2030 Agenda with an emphasis on access, equity, inclusion, quality and lifelong learning dimensions of higher education. In his speech, he emphasized that education transforms lives and it is at the heart of UNESCO’s global mission to build peace, eradicate poverty and drive sustainable development. Higher education plays a pivotal role in socio-economic development and poverty eradication. He stated that the third WHEC2021 is timely and coming at the right moment to reimagine how knowledge and learning can shape the future of humanity and the planet in a time of increasing complexity and uncertainty. The world needs to know about China’s reform of its higher education system and its efforts in building world class universities with a sharp focus on science, technology and innovation which has significantly contributed to the rapid economic growth of China. 

Mr Parua highlighted in his opening remarks that the China national consultation for WHEC2021 would provide valuable inputs to the third World Conference on Higher Education. The Chinese perspective on the future of higher education is very important to contribute towards the global discussion. The recommendations of the national consultation will contribute towards the preparation of the final recommendations of the third WHEC. The background and objectives and the major themes of the WHEC2021 was highlighted during the opening remarks.  

In his recorded keynote video address, Mr. Peter Wells, Chief of the Higher Education Section and his colleagues at UNESCO Headquarters presented the background, objectives and major themes of WHEC2021. They emphasized the importance of building connections and partnerships between higher education institutions and society in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Education 2030 Agenda. UNESCO’s vision of the conference is an event that is inclusive, disruptive and innovative; has a worldwide reach; and empowers youth around the world. At the end of the conference, relevant data and information will be generated, updated policy recommendations will be formulated, networks and partnerships will be strengthened, inputs from diverse stakeholders will be considered, and a roadmap will be established and adopted for the upcoming years.

The China consultation meeting reviewed the status of higher education in China, shared knowledge and experiences in all aspects of higher education and explored ideas and strategies to reshape higher education. Education experts and scholars shared insights focused on three themes of higher education: the equality, quality, responsibility and reform of higher education governance; mobility, sharing, partnership and international cooperation; and innovation, entrepreneurship, applicability and sustainable development. 

The discussions at the consultation explored effective strategies for the higher education system with specific focus on the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the fast-changing global environment, as well as recognizing the increasing role of open and distance learning and online learning platforms. 

Professor Kan Yue of the School of Education at Zhejiang University had acknowledged the participation of the participants and their contribution and he concluded the meeting with four words in reshaping higher education: context, sharing, responsibility and innovation. Prof. Kan had stressed that the key recommendations will be forwarded to the Secretariat of the WHEC2021. He reiterated that Zhejiang University is deeply committed to strengthening the strategic partnership and collaboration with UNESCO to further advance the development of higher education for a sustainable future. 

More to read:

World Higher Education Conference 2021 (WHEC2021)

The third World Higher Education Conference (WHEC2021) 7-9 October 2021 will bring together relevant stakeholders in higher education to define and prepare a roadmap for a new era of higher education. This roadmap will respond to the challenges faced by humanity and the planet, with special attention to the global disruption created by the COVID-19. It will look at both the higher education systems (norms, policies, structures, stakeholders) and institutions (universities, specialized entities, networks).

The WHEC 2021 aims at breaking away from the traditional models of higher learning and opening the door to new, innovative, creative and visionary conceptions that not only serve the current global agendas for sustainable development, but also pave the way for a future learning community that speaks to all and is inclusive of all lifelong learners.

Read more: 

• World Higher Education Conference – Homepage 

  https://en.unesco.org/news/world-higher-education-conference-2021 

• UNESCO’s work in Higher Education

  https://en.unesco.org/themes/higher-education 

• World Conference on Higher Education (Paris, 2009): Final report

  https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000189242

• Zhejiang University’s reporting on the event - 第三届世界高等教育大会国家高等教育政策咨询研讨会顺利召开

  https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/__qkWVEngTj9BislnUlcRQ