Higher Ed Without Borders interviews Dr. Peter Wells Chief of the Section for Higher Education UNESCO
Summary
Higher Ed Without Borders speaks with Dr. Peter Wells. is Chief of the Section for Higher Education at the UNESCO Headquarters in ParisJoining us today is Dr. Peter Wells. Peter is Chief of the Section for Higher Education at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, where he is Secretary to the UNESCO Conventions on the Recognition of HE qualifications for academic mobility, overall coordination of the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs program, and most recently the UNESCO 3rd World Conference on Higher Education.
The interview includes the following questions:
The interview includes the following questions:
- Many of our listeners may not be aware of UNESCO and its work in the Higher Education sector. Tell us about UNESCO’s involvement in higher education.
- You have seen higher education in many countries – both as an educator and now as Chief of Higher Education for UNESCO. Globally, what are some high-priority issues facing tertiary education? For example
- Increased access
- quality improvement
- employability & skill development
- STEM / Industry 4.0-related programs
- Ultranationalism (against the international student movement)
- What led you to a career in higher education and now with UNESCO? What were some of the influences and who were some of your mentors?
- As much of the developing world is focusing on STEM, Industry 4.0, vocational skill development, micro-credentials, and the like, is there an increasing risk for arts and humanities areas to take a backseat in these nations? How do you see the development of higher education for fine arts / visual arts / performing arts and the like?
- After the Pandemic, we have seen a significant increase in various forms of open and online learning by higher education institutions. UNESCO has been quite active in promoting online education for several years before the onset of the pandemic. How do you see the challenges and opportunities for online learning in higher education – particularly in the developing world?
- Can a specific university/college collaborate with UNESCO? How does a university become more engaged with UNESCO?
Comments and Suggestions:
Higher Ed Without Borders would love to hear your ideas for future topics and guests. Connect with Dr. Senthil Nathan or Dean Hoke on LinkedIn. You can also visit the Edu Alliance website. To hear the entire series please subscribe to Higher Ed Without Borders on your preferred podcast platforms such as Apple, Spotify, or Google. The podcast is sponsored by Edu Alliance, an education consulting firm located in Bloomington Indiana, and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. We assist higher education institutions worldwide on a variety of mission-critical projects.
If your organization wants to know more about how Edu Alliance can best serve you, please contact either Dean Hoke or Dr. Senthil Nathan.
Higher Ed Without Borders would love to hear your ideas for future topics and guests. Connect with Dr. Senthil Nathan or Dean Hoke on LinkedIn. You can also visit the Edu Alliance website. To hear the entire series please subscribe to Higher Ed Without Borders on your preferred podcast platforms such as Apple, Spotify, or Google. The podcast is sponsored by Edu Alliance, an education consulting firm located in Bloomington Indiana, and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. We assist higher education institutions worldwide on a variety of mission-critical projects.
If your organization wants to know more about how Edu Alliance can best serve you, please contact either Dean Hoke or Dr. Senthil Nathan.