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Session 3460

UNESCO Initiatives in the Field of Engineering Education

Dueb M. Lakhder, Gearold R. Johnson UNESCO/National Technological University

Abstract

Engineering education is an essential component of UNESCO’s science programmes and it is oriented towards serving Member States on a continuous basis. After a discussion of several major distance learning programmes in the world, this paper concentrates on the status of UNESCO’s current distance learning initiatives: the Satellite Universities of Science and Technology for the Arab States, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Africa, and Central America. A final discussion concerns the role of UNESCO’s International Committee on Engineering Education which provides advice to the Director-General on issues relevant to the strengthening of engineering education at the global level.

Introduction

The intention of this paper is to simply provide information on UNESCO’s distance learning initiatives in the field of engineering education together with information on how UNESCO is trying to support engineering education in its Member States. We aim here at inviting engineering institutions and individuals to comment, criticize and provide feedback about these initiatives to the concerned authorities of UNESCO. Our objective is to make these initiatives as useful as possible to the world engineering community and to seek and encourage the participation and/or comments of engineering educators. Before we discuss in detail the initiatives, we strongly believe it will be essential to provide a brief background about UNESCO for those who may be in need of this information or who simply want to know more about the organization.

UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) 1 was founded on 11 November 1946 on the premise that "since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed." UNESCO’s constitution was signed in London on 16 November 1946 by 37 countries. The mission of the organization as defined in Article 1 of the conditions, is to "contribute to peace and security by promoting collaboration among the nations through education, science and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, for the role of law and for human rights, and for fundamental freedom which are affirmed for the peoples of the world without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United Nations." UNESCO, in 1996, celebrated its fiftieth anniversary.

UNESCO 2 is composed of the following three bodies:

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Johnson, G. R., & Lakhder, D. M. (1999, June), Unesco Initiatives In The Field Of Engineering Education Paper presented at 1999 Annual Conference, Charlotte, North Carolina. 10.18260/1-2--8012