Editorial

UNESCO-UNEVOC Bulletin 20

2012 is a special year for UNESCO-UNEVOC, as we are celebrating our 10 year anniversary. Since its inception, UNEVOC has worked intensively towards supporting countries improve Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and it has built the UNEVOC Network which currently has 289 Centres in 167 countries. To mark the occasion, UNESCO-UNEVOC will publish a special anniversary publication and a special anniversary event will be held later this year. Keep a close eye on the UNEVOC website for more information about the celebrations.

2012 is also the year of the ‘Third International Congress on Technical and Vocational Education and Training’, which took place in Shanghai, China from 13-16 May. The Congress provided a unique global platform for practitioners, experts and policy makers from around the world to share knowledge and reflection on the future of TVET and was a major new milestone in international cooperation after the influential Seoul Congress which took place in the Republic of Korea in 1999.

In recent years, TVET gained an upsurge in interest from the international community, while UNESCO Member States increasingly expressed the vital need for TVET development in their respective countries. At the same time, issues of sustainability and the concept of green economies and societies have become central to the international agenda. There are major challenges to be faced in the reconciliation of competing economic development aspirations in a world that is facing increasing climate change, energy insecurity, and ecological scarcity. The global rise of the green development agenda suggests that there is a need for TVET to engage more systemically with these concerns. To recognize the importance of greening TVET, UNEVOC has initiated the establishment of an interagency working group with the purpose of addressing this significant global challenge.

UNEVOC has geared up to take on the challenge of streaming its internal capacity by focusing on strengthening the UNEVOC Network; providing capacity development in the field of TVET; expanding online community development and knowledge sharing. UNEVOC now offers a knowledge management centre which features an interactive kiosk that connects UNEVOC Network members around the world. And as the global e-Forum community with over 2,300 members continues to grow, UNEVOC has introduced moderator-driven discussions which aim to promote focused discussions on crucial topics in TVET development. Parallel to these activities, UNEVOC is working closely with UNESCO Headquarters in Paris to harmonize its activities, and is putting major efforts into reinforcing partnerships and collaborations with relevant partners.

We are pleased to share with you Bulletin 20 of the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training. With a new fresh look, the Bulletin aims to inform about recent activities undertaken by the International Centre.

Shyamal Majumdar
Head of UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre