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About the UNESCO Forum on Higher Education, Research and Knowledge

The UNESCO Forum on Higher Education, Research and Knowledge is a follow-up activity of two UNESCO world conferences: The World Conference on Higher Education (Paris, 1998) and the World Conference on Science (Budapest, 1999).

As a part of UNESCO's inter-sectoral activities, UNESCO has launched a Forum Higher Education, Research and Knowledge, in cooperation with and funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

The Forum provides a platform for researchers, policy-makers and experts to engage critically with research issues and research findings. The objective is to widen our understanding of systems, structures, policies, trends and developments in higher education, research and knowledge. Every year, global Forum events are organized at UNESCO. Parallel meeting and activities are organized in the regions, contributing to shaping the agenda for the global discussions. The Forum is made up of the Regional Scientific Committees, the Global Scientific Committee, the Coordinating Committee and the Forum Secretariat is situated at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris and serves to facilitate coordination of the Forum activities.

Regional Scientific Committees, composed of research experts and policy makers, are established for each of the five regions involved in the Forum initiative (i.e. Africa, Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean).

In each of these regions, Regional Research Seminars and other regional activities are organised, addressing crucial regional issues linked to higher Education