afghanistan-education-higher-education-inspire

	International Strategic Partnerships in Research and Education

INSPIRE is a British Council funded project that aims to significantly strengthen academic and research partnerships between UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and HEIs in Afghanistan. This is achieved by the delivery of a transformational increase in the number and scope of partnerships which will operate at an institutional level and will involve the policy makers and governing bodies for the sector.

INSPIRE engages the HE sector in the UK and regional at the departmental, institutional and policy level through strategic partnerships, leadership programmes and policy dialogues. Please click the links to find out more.

		Strategic Partnerships

WHAT IS THE HIGHER EDUCATION LEADERSHIP PROJECT?

The Afghanistan higher education leadership project is part of the British Council’s South Asia higher education programme called INSPIRE (International Strategic Partnership in Research and Education), which aims to significantly strengthen academic and research links between UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and HEIs in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. (www.britishcouncil.org/inspire)

The project (known formally as the Partners in Academic Learning Project and, informally, as the PAL Project)

PAL1 : 2011-2012 mainly involved twenty-five Afghan academics/administrators in management positions from nine state universities and from units within the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) developing their leadership skills through working on development projects in their workplace, guided by eight mentors from the UK higher education sector, mainly via internet communication. The programme ended in December 2012 but some Afghan participants are still in contact with their mentors in UK.

PAL2: 2013-2014 which is called the International Leadership Development Programme in the UK and PAL2 in Afghanistan, mainly involves 8 Afghan academics who are heads or members of Quality Assurance Committees in 6 Afghan universities and the Ministry of Higher Education itself was launched on April 2013. This project is an innovative approach to supporting institutional and leadership development and international collaboration.

THE MAIN AIM OF THE PAL2 PROJECT IS:

To support the development of Quality Assurance (QA) processes and capabilities in Higher Education in Afghanistan

THE OBJECTIVES OF PAL2 PROJECT ARE:

To build on the progress made through the accreditation process over the past two years
To support 6 leading Afghan universities to develop and embed robust QA processes
To support the 6 participating universities to move towards Centre of Excellence status in QA (CEQA)

PEOPLE AND ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED:

The British Council is being greatly helped in the delivery of the PAL Project by management and leadership consultant Hank Williams, as programme manager, and by Deputy Director of Partnerships at the Open University, Dr Victoria Lindsay.

The Afghan participants of the Project are from the following organisations:

Kabul University, Kabul Medical University, Kandahar University, Balkh University, Herat University and Nangarhar University
The Ministry of Higher Education – Quality Assurance Directorate

The UK-based (non-Afghan) participants are from:

The Higher Education Academy
The Universities of London
University of Southampton
Institute of Education
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

EXPECTED OUTCOMES FOR AFGHAN PARTICIPANTS:

Main outcomes of the PAL2 Project will be the development of administrative and academic practice and policy in the HE sector; the enhancement of internationalisation, networking and partnership, the development of QA committees at the 6 selected universities and MoHE to enable the universities to meet the criteria set by MoHE for accreditation as a Centre of Excellence in QA and the development participants’ capability as a QA peer reviewer.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES FOR UK PARTICIPANTS:

Further development of:

Experience of the international HE context in developing countries
Understanding of the challenge in establishing core HE processes in a post-conflict country
Understanding of Quality Assurance frameworks and processes within an international context
Skills in supporting a leader to plan, facilitate and manage change in a complex operating environment
Skills in working remotely to support a change process within an international HE context

		Leadership Programme

WHAT IS THE HIGHER EDUCATION LEADERSHIP PROJECT?

The project (known formally as the Partners in Academic Learning Project and, informally, as the PAL Project)

THE MAIN AIM OF THE PAL2 PROJECT IS:

To support the development of Quality Assurance (QA) processes and capabilities in Higher Education in Afghanistan

THE OBJECTIVES OF PAL2 PROJECT ARE:

To build on the progress made through the accreditation process over the past two year
To support 6 leading Afghan universities to develop and embed robust QA processes
To support the 6 participating universities to move towards Centre of Excellence status in QA (CEQA)

PEOPLE AND ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED:

The Afghan participants of the Project are from the following organisations:

Kabul University, Kabul Medical University, Kandahar University, Balkh University, Herat University and Nangarhar University
The Ministry of Higher Education – Quality Assurance Directorate

The UK-based (non-Afghan) participants are from:

The Higher Education Academy
The Universities of London
University of Southampton
Institute of Education
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

EXPECTED OUTCOMES FOR AFGHAN PARTICIPANTS:

EXPECTED OUTCOMES FOR UK PARTICIPANTS:

Further development of:

Experience of the international HE context in developing countries
Understanding of the challenge in establishing core HE processes in a post-conflict country
Understanding of Quality Assurance frameworks and processes within an international context
Skills in supporting a leader to plan, facilitate and manage change in a complex operating environment
Skills in working remotely to support a change process within an international HE context

		Policy Dialogue

WHAT ARE POLICY DIALOGUES?

Policy Dialogues are opportunities for policy makers and practitioners to come together and collaborate on higher education issues. Each one focuses on a specific policy area, exploring the issues, highlighting problem areas and devising recommendations for a way forward.

THE AIMS OF POLICY DIALOGUES ARE TO:

contribute to the development of higher education policies of national and international relevance
strengthen partnership and collaboration between the UK and countries in South Asia, including Afghanistan, and countries outside South Asia

WHAT DOES THE POLICY DIALOGUE STRAND OF OUR HIGHER EDUCATION WORK INVOLVE?

Global Policy Dialogue: The international education conference – Going Global 2013– took place at the World Trade Centre Dubai,from 4-6 March 2013.

Going Global is a series of international educational conferences hosted by the British Council. It offers an open forum for policy makers and practitioners from around the world to discuss issues facing the international education community. Since its inception in 2004, Going Global has grown from a bi-annual event in the UK to an annual event that alternates between the UK and a different international location. Each year it attracts over 1,000 delegates from across the further and higher education sectors and a variety of other industries with perspectives on international education.

This year conference theme was 'Global education: knowledge-based economies for 21st century nations' and looked at the challenges and opportunities facing tertiary and further education institutions in the context of three key issues:

1. Research and innovation: the role of international collaboration:

Research and innovation: what are the challenging questions (intellectual property, national funding systems etc) and what are the innovative answers?
The value and impact of multilateral research: are the outcomes of conducting multilateral research worth the challenges?
How are research hubs being established; how are they working and what do they contribute to nations, communities and cultures?
Investing in research networks for the future: what should we invest in and what should we expect as the return on investment?

2. Developing skilled knowledge workers: the role of international collaboration:

What does ‘employability’ mean in the context of a wealth of nations; how are these skills being developed?
How are governments, employers, universities and colleges responding to the challenges of creating workforce skills for economic diversification?
What systems underpin the development of global skills and competences; how internationalised are those systems?

3. Internationalising tertiary education structures and systems:

Education cities and hubs: what is their contribution to global, national and local community agendas?
How does transnational education impact on local and national culture, identity and gender issues - and are there inherent tensions between the provider and the local cultural setting?
How is transnational education contributing to the economy, prosperity and well-being of host and source nations?
What structures and systems ensure high quality education provision together with high quality student experience?

The themes for Going Global 2014 are currently being discussed and finalised by our international steering committee and will be available shortly before the call for proposals opens.

GLOBAL EDUCATION DIALOGUES: THE SOUTH ASIA SERIES 2013-2014

What is a Global Education Dialogue?

A Global Education Dialogue brings together key policy-makers and influencers so that they can reflect on and debate the challenges and opportunities facing international higher education. It is a facilitated dialogue between governments, universities and industry with contributions and fresh perspectives from our network of leading thinkers. Each event therefore provides space and time for participants to explore the shifting international higher education landscape – with its rapidly changing expectations and responsibilities – so that they are better equipped to play their role in the future-proofing of higher education in their countries.

The South Asia Series provides a six-part programme of dialogues to frame the debate on the issues affecting higher education in South Asia and the UK. Each Policy Dialogue features the latest thinking in its area with new research and input from the government and industry leaders. Papers and research from the policy dialogue will be published so that they can contribute to evidence-led policy developments. Each of the six events in the South Asia Series has participants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the UAE and the UK. Some specific Policy Dialogues also have participants from China, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Jordan and Malaysia. Each Policy Dialogue has a specific and focussed agenda, with a limited number of places in order to maximise knowledge sharing and interaction. For this reason participation is by invitation only. The South Asia Series of Global Education Dialogues consists of the following events:

TRANSFORMING HIGHER EDUCATION IN SOUTH ASIA

18 – 19 June 2013

Colombo, Sri Lanka

Perspectives from South Asia and the UK on new models of delivery in public, private and TNE (Transnational Education) provision

Themes:

Review of current trends in overseas delivery models
Impact on student flows and the quality of the student experience
Quality assurance and regulation – what works and why
Quality, cost and access – the equation of choice in TNE
Collaboration or competition – the reality on the ground

THE QUEST FOR EXCELLENCE

23 – 24 September 2013

London, UK

The Skills Revolution in the UK and South Asia perspectives and challenges

Themes:

Review of current trends and best practices in South Asia and the UK
The economics of Skills and HE in South Asia – what works and who works
Can skills support research networks?
Skills, HE and status – and international dilemma

21ST CENTURY UNIVERSITIES

8 – 9 October 2013

Dubai

The future of Higher Education in South Asia

Themes:

Higher Education and the new normal
Private vs. State – the rise of the private sector
Best practice models for the 21st century in South Asia
The Entrepreneurial University and what is does

HIGHER EDUCATION AND EMPLOYABIILTY

9 – 10 January 2014

Mumbai, India

A new paradigm, a new challenge – South Asia and UK perspectives

Themes:

Higher education and the employability challenge
Advanced skills and research in the new paradigm
Skills and higher education – whose agenda is it?
Employers and higher education

DANGEROUS DEMOGRAPHICS

22 – 23 February 2014

Dhaka, Bangladesh

Women, Leadership and the Looming Crises in Higher Education

Themes:

What makes a world class leader in HE today? The new leadership paradigm and the barriers to success
Women in HE in the UK and South Asia
Best practice models from South Asia and the UK

REASERCH AND RELEVANCE

6 – 7 May 2014

Lahore, Pakistan

Research networks, talent management and the quest for international relevance

Themes:

Mapping international research collaboration – future trends
Research networks and building capacity
Sustainable research – funding solutions for partnerships
Knowledge transfer and innovation – emerging models
Talent management and retention
Absent talent – where are the women researches?