Are you interested in in ocean affairs and the law of the sea? If so, take a look at the on the Mediterranean Erasmus Programme looked at the issue of the Mobility of Students and Researchers as key factor of Internationalization of HE Institutions. The conference was held in Rome at the Archive of State on April 22nd and 23rd 2013 ,
Following the Conference, a final paper with recommendations going forward was produced. You can download it here.
The paper focuses on the following main issues and recommendations:
1. To keep a constant and efficient dialogue between Unimed and his members with the European Commission, particularly with the DG Education and Culture and the DG Research and Innovation;
2. To strengthen civil society cooperation; and
3. To adequate the role of Southern Mediterranean higher education institutions within EU Projects and Programmes by considering them as actors and not only as beneficiaries.
Find out more about UNIMED here on their website.
Honouring Rabindranath Tagore |honouring-rabindranath-tagore|Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:16:31 +0000|Home Page,News,What's happening|en|On 30 May, the United Nations Academic Impact honoured the Nobel laureate, Rabindranath Tagore, whose collection of poetry, Gitanjali, and its universal message of harmony were the focus of an event at UN Headquarters in New York aimed at promoting mutual respect and cross-cultural understanding. Thou hast made me endless, such is thy pleasure. This frail vessel thou emptiest again and again, and fillest it ever with fresh life, sang in Bengali, Rizwana Chowdhury Bonnya (pictured left), singer and associate professor at Dhaka University, in an interpretive presentation of Tagore's poem: Endless, you have made me.
Hers was one of a dozen lingual expressions of Tagore's poems that included representatives from Argentina, China, France, Japan and the Republic of Korea, among others. His poems and music are like prayers for one's self- enrichment, purification and salvation, said Vice-President and the Acting President of the General Assembly, Ambassador Abulkalam Abdul Momen of Bangladesh. Ambassador Momen praised Tagore as a role model: His firm stance against communalism and all forms of fanaticism serves us as a constant reminder of the need to remain vigilant and united in our total rejection of all forms of violence, bigotry and injustice.
Tagore was honoured with the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913, the first for an Asian poet. The Nobel was presented for lasting literary merit and for evidence of consistent idealism. At the time of his selection, the Nobel committee praised Tagore's profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse, by which, with consummate
skill, he has made his poetic thought, expressed in his own English words, a part of the literature of the West.
I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy, Ambassador Momen said quoting Tagore. In addition to artistic endeavours, Tagore started the Visva-Bharati University in the town of Shantiniketan in India which he described as his life's work.
Ambassador Momen said, Instead of any clash of civilizations, it was to be a place where students and teachers from the East and the West would sit together and learn from each other in a common pursuit of truth.
The meeting was also addressed by the Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations Ambassador Asoke Mukerji, who recalled the story of Gitanjali and its first publication by The India Society in London in 1912. Author and poet Aftab Seth, and Meena Alexander, also a distinguished poet and a professor at New York's Hunter College, spoke about Tagore's poetry and his message to the world.
Tagore's poems in various languages were introduced by actor and author Madhur Jaffrey, Guillaume Dabouis of the Permanent Mission of France, Hisao Nishimaki of the Permanent Mission of Japan, filmmaker and producer Sunmin Park of the Republic of Korea, Professor Kanwarjit Singh of the University of Washington and Yiling Li of the People's Republic of China.
The Tagore event was part of UNAI's ongoing series, Unlearning Intolerance which brings together diplomats, international experts and representatives of academic institutions to exchange ideas with senior UN officials. An archival video of the event can be found here as well as photos on the UNAI Facebook page.
NYU-Shanghai delegation visits UN HQ|nyu-shanghai-delegation-visits-un-hq|Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:17:29 +0000|Home Page,News,What's happening|en|
A five member delegation from NYU–Shanghai University, led by its newly appointed Chancellor, Dr. Yu Lizhong, at a meeting at UN Headquarters recently with members of the UNAI team assured of its commitment to promoting the ten principles on UNAI through a variety of collaborative activities.
NYU Shanghai is the third degree-granting campus in NYU's global network, joining NYU in New York and NYU Abu Dhabi. Chancellor Yu recalled that NYU Shanghai operates in accord with the values of curiosity, rigour, integrity, respect, harmony, responsibility and deep engagement with all humanity. These values are in complete conformity with the principles of the UN Academic Impact, he said. NYU-Shanghai, which will formally begin operation in September 2013, is planning several activities in August and September around its official inauguration.
New video of the Afghan Youth Orchestra|new-video-of-the-afghan-youth-orchestra|Tue, 25 Jun 2013 16:07:44 +0000|News,Uncategorized,What's happening|en|Take a look at this recent My Dream video featuring the Afghan Youth Orchestra (AYO) performing their new arrangement of UN Messenger of Peace Mr. Stevie Wonder's hit, Heaven Help Us All. Richard Katz of THEDREAM@50 project says of the video:
To have these warm, unassuming music students express the most basic desires for peace and the freedom to play music puts all of Afghanistan's current challenges in perspective. The young girls are performing the traditional Attan dance. The new arrangement of Heaven Help Us All was created by AYO's conductor/composer, William Harvey, for THE DREAM @50.
Find out more about THEDREAM@50 here.
Young Professionals Programme 2013|young-professionals-programme-2013|Fri, 28 Jun 2013 17:03:45 +0000|News,What's happening|en|
The UN is looking for highly qualified candidates who are ready to launch a professional career as an international civil servant.
The young professionals programme (YPP) is a recruitment initiative that brings new talent to the United Nations through an annual entrance examination.
For young, high-calibre professionals across the globe, the examination is a platform for launching a career at the United Nations. The 2013 examination will be offered in the following job families: Legal Affairs, Public Information, Statistics, Administration and Finance.
The examination is held worldwide and is open to nationals of countries participating in the annual recruitment exercise - the list of participating countries is published annually and varies from year to year.
This examination is also held for staff members of the United Nations Secretariat who work within the General Service and other related categories and aspire to a career within the Professional and higher categories.
The application period for Legal Affairs, Public Information and Statistics opened on 3 June and will close on 2 August 2013. The application period for Administration and Finance will open on 8 July and close on 5 September 2013.
All applications must be submitted through the United Nations careers portal. You can find out more information about the UN's young professionals programme here.
Launch of the 2013 Global Innovation Index|launch-of-the-2013-global-innovation-index|Mon, 01 Jul 2013 22:56:41 +0000|News,What's happening|en|Today in Geneva, the Secretary-General spoke at the launch of the 2013 Global Innovation Index at the Economic and Social Council in Geneva. UNAI Member Cornell University co-produced the Index with the World Intellectual Property Organization and INSEAD Business School. You can read the Secretary-General's speech below and find out more about the Index from INSEAD Business School
Science, technology and innovation have played an enormous role in the world's progress towards the Millennium Development Goals.
Again and again, we are reminded of the important role of science, technology and innovation, as well as culture, in advancing health, education, sustainable energy and other development challenges.
Innovation is increasingly open, collaborative and international.
As the international community works to develop the post-2015 development agenda, we must continue to harness the transformative power of science, technology and innovation.
My High Level Panel on the Post 2015 Development Agenda highlighted the need to have an accurate picture of progress and where we must intensify efforts.
I know that you will continue to develop and refine this Index in collaboration with your Knowledge Partners, Advisory Board members and the organizations that help provide the data which underpins the Index.
Thank you.
Beijing Normal University joins UNAI|beijing-normal-university-joins-unai|Thu, 11 Jul 2013 18:41:53 +0000|Home Page,News,What's happening|en|At a special ceremony held on 1 July 2013, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai (BNUZ) unveiled a plaque that replicated the UNAI logo. Earlier, Maher Nasser, Director of the Outreach Division of the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI), presented the UNAI Membership Certificate to BNUZ. Mr. Nasser congratulated BNUZ for its emphasis on building a cross-culture platform for international students and promoting communication and understanding of different cultures. He noted that the UNAI, which aimed at bringing the world's academia and the United Nations in a close partnership, had blossomed into a global movement. Over 1,000 colleges and universities from over 120 countries have joined UNAI, making it one of the fastest growing movements in the academic world, he said.
In the unveiling ceremony, Prof. Tu Qingyun, President of BNUZ, said that, by joining UNAI, BNUZ's internationalisation process had been further strengthened. He assured UNAI that BNUZ would uphold the principles of UNAI and take concrete steps to strengthen its ties with the United Nations and with the UNAI community.
BNUZ, a sprawling campus in the city of Zhuhai in southern China, since its establishment 11 years ago, has emphasized cross-culture platform for international students by carrying out a so-called 2+2 program, which includes summer overseas study program, International Chinese Studies, and International Youth Leadership Program (IYLP). More than 100 students from BNUZ, Birmingham, Harvard and Oxford Universities are attending this year's IYLP. During the 20-day activity – with first 15 days at BNUZ and the final five days in Beijing – the students will attend lectures on youth leadership, carry out cooperative research and formally present the results of their joint efforts.
In his remarks at the inauguration of IYLP, Mr. Nasser noted that the programme's overall goal – to promote cross-cultural communication and collaborative academic research – and its focus on cultivating a new generation of youth leaders ready to embrace social responsibility, resonated with the ideals of the United Nations and that of the United Nations Academic Impact. Social responsibility, by its very nature,
implied an appreciation of our connectedness, first with our neighbours and with our immediate environment, and then the wider world and the global environment. The United Nations, which was created in the name of the peoples of the world, presupposed a recognition that the goals of peace, human rights and sustainability, the three pillars of the Organization, could be achieved only when we did our part, as Member States, as citizens and as members of our respective communities, Mr. Nasser noted.
Secretary-General joins commemoration of MLK's speech |secretary-general-joins-commemoration-of-mlks-speech|Wed, 17 Jul 2013 17:22:30 +0000|Home Page,News,Uncategorized,What's happening|en|
28 August 2013 will mark the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s I have a dream speech. Delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. in front of 250,000 people, the speech spoke to the universal human desire for dignity and freedom and the importance of working together for the common good.
Fifty years later, Dr. King's words resonate more powerfully and urgently around the globe than ever. The United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) is partnering with Karz Productions, a US-based media organization, to celebrate the anniversary with a series of activities, including a video and art contest among students and a flash mob dance in public squares of cities, towns, and villages around the world.
Among those joining the global commemoration is Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. In a video message, the Secretary-General spoke of his own dream. My dream is for a world of sustainable development for all... where every member of the human family can live in dignity and look forward with hope. Martin Luther King's great goals, and the global mission of the United Nations, are one and the same, he said.
The Secretary-General's video message can be seen on YouTube here.
Celebrating Mandela Day|celebrating-mandela-day|Thu, 18 Jul 2013 15:59:31 +0000|Home Page,News,Uncategorized,What's happening|en|Every year on 18 July — the day Nelson Mandela was born — the UN joins a call by the Nelson Mandela Foundation to devote
UNAI Member New York University will be running a course this summer related to the United Nations, beginning on 29 July.
Find out more from the
When I say Malala, you say day; Malala… Day!...Malala…Day!
On the day of July 12, 2013, I felt as if I was reborn into a greater person. I also saw this same type of rebirth to everyone around me. The Malala in all of us shined that day…
I feel that the most valuable thing we took from that day was each other. Over six hundred students from over eighty countries came together for one cause. Just being at the UN conference room, you could feel a sense of unity. We all seemed to leave a piece of ourselves to whoever we met that day. When I personally think back to my experiences that day, I challenge myself to see how far I can help my family, my town, and my country.
We all shined like stars on Malala Day. We didn't shine spread out, like in the sky. But rather in a beautiful new constellation that seems to say as one, you can't stop us.
--Leila Bouchekouk, is an Algerian-American young woman, an Honors student, and a member of UNAI ASPIRE of East Stroudsburg South High School
Yesterday was the International Day against Nuclear Tests. The UN will commemorate the day this year on 5 September with an Informal Meeting of the General Assembly in the Trusteeship Council Chamber. It is being convened by the President of the General Assembly, Mr. Vuk Jeremić, followed by a High-Level Panel organized in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan.
The opening ceremony will be followed by a High-Level Panel on the Path to Zero: The Role of the United Nations in Nuclear Disarmament and Non-proliferation.
On the occasion of the observance of the Day, an exhibition entitled, Peace Now: Abolish Nuclear Tests and Weapons, organized by the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to the United Nations, in cooperation with the United Nations Department of Public Information, will also be held on September 4 - 8 in the Main Corridor on the First Floor of the Conference Building of the United Nations.
The exhibition will be inaugurated on Wednesday, 4 September 2013, at 6 p.m.
Those without a UN Grounds Pass interested in attending these events should contact: itilegen@yahoo.com, or tel.: +1 (212) 230-1900, ext. 322.
ESL/UNAI international student essay contest for global citizenship, encouraging students from member universities to take part.
The participants also discussed how they could strengthen local network and information sharing beyond borders. It was agreed that the Outreach Division share good practices on establishment of local networks in other countries and that UNIC Tokyo organize such round table meetings more often.
CFR@UNAI talks to be launched at UN Headquarters|cfrunai-talks-to-be-launched-at-un-hq-1-november|Wed, 23 Oct 2013 20:04:18 +0000|Events,News,What's happening|en|The United Nations Academic Impact, in partnership with the US-based (subject: CFR@UNAI).
Online viewers are encouraged to submit their questions/comments to and also join the discussion on the UNAI Facebook page.
Modern Education: Migration of Minds in the Expansive Global Network|modern-education-migration-of-minds-in-the-expansive-global-network|Fri, 01 Nov 2013 14:36:30 +0000|News,What's happening|en|
The UN Academic Impact community is made up of nearly 1,000 members in over 120 countries. We're pleased to share with you the first in a series of articles relating to the 10 UNAI Principles written by members of our community of students and academics.
Modern Education: Migration of Minds in the Expansive Global Network
Guillermo Chato Roque, Intern, UN Academic Impact
In early April of 2013, hundreds of perspective students landed in Shanghai, China to visit
On October 2-3 2013, the World Academy Forum on Global Higher Education at the University of California at Berkeley brought together leading educators, universities, MOOCs and technology providers from around the world. Organised by the World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS), the UC conference is the first in a series of events planned to promote creative solutions in higher education.
In light of these challenges, participants in the forum were asked the following question: if you were going to design a system to deliver quality, innovative higher education to the whole world, how would you do it? They concluded that On-Line Education (OLE) has the potential to provide a solution to both the quantitative and qualitative difficulties facing global higher education. OLE is the only conceivable way to meet the world's expanding need for higher education at an accessible cost. Furthermore, there is increasing evidence that –when compared to traditional education - on-line courses produce equal or even superior learning outcomes.
More information and background below from Ben Wildavsky, Director of Higher Education Studies, The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government, State University of New York and Policy Professor, University at Albany:
The discussion, which will run for an hour and a half, will feature Harvard Law School Professor Randall Kennedy, author of the newly released book For Discrimination: Race, Affirmative Action, and the Law and Century Foundation Senior Fellow Richard Kahlenberg, whose books include The Remedy: Class, Race, and Affirmative Action. It will be moderated by Columbia University Journalism Professor and New Yorker Staff Writer Nicholas Lemann, who has written extensively on education and race in articles and books that include The Big Test: The Secret History of the American Meritocracy and The Promised Land: The Great Black Migration and How It Changed America.
To RSVP, please contact Michele.Charbonneau@rockinst.suny.edu or call (518) 443-5258 by December 10th.
On International Migrants Day, UNAI hosts a conversation on migration and development|on-international-migrants-day-unai-hosts-a-conversation-on-migration-and-development|Thu, 19 Dec 2013 17:03:39 +0000|Home Page,News,Uncategorized,What's happening|en|On 18 December 2013, UNAI hosted a Classroom Conversation focusing on the link between migration and development. Held on International migrants Day, a United Nations observance since 2000, the discussion brought together students and faculty from several UNAI members, including CUNY Graduate, Queens College, Fordham and Sorbonne University (Paris).
Presenting an overview, Bela Hovy (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs) recalled that in October 2013, the General Assembly
at its High-Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development, had once again reaffirmed the need to promote and protect effectively the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all migrants, regardless of their migration status. Mr. Hovy noted that until recently, migration was considered a problem. However, there was an increasing recognition that international migration was, in fact, part of the solution, especially in terms of leveraging the benefits of migration for development. At present, international migration generates over $400 billion to developing countries, which is about three times the official development assistance (ODA).
Professor Richard Alba (City University of New York's Graduate Center) gave an illustrative presentation on the pattern of immigration to the US. At present, the US is home for over 40 million foreign born people, including about 11 – 12 million who remain undocumented He argued strongly for a comprehensive immigration reform that would grant the undocumented immigrants legal status and a recognition of their basic rights. In another presentation, Prof. Anthony Julian Tamburri (Queens College) discussed contemporary Italian immigration and pointed out some affinities with what occurred in the US about 100 years ago.
The final presentation was by Racheline Maltese (Media Tenor International). In recent years, Media Tenor, in association with the United Nations Academic Impact, has produced an annual Integration Index, which provides an analysis of the global media coverage on migrants issues. Ms. Maltese presented Media Tenor's latest Integration Index data.
Peter Barrett, a graduate student from Sorbonne University, also spoke, describing his own experience as a migrant in France. Another highlight of the day was a song by Luciano Lamonarca, well known tenor and President of the Puglia Center of America, describing the experience of an Italian migrant.
Maher Nasser (Department of Public Information/UN), who chaired the discussion, underlined that no society could consider its future without factoring in the effects of human mobility, and yet migrants rights remain denied in many parts of the world. He hoped that the classroom conversation had been able to spotlight on what could and should be done to fix a festering problem.
The event was webcast live, an archived copy of which is available here.
Presentations made by speakers at the Classroom Conversation can be found below:
Mr. Bela Hovy, Chief, Migration Section, DESA
Dr. Richard Alba, Distinguished/Emeritus Professor of Sociology, CUNY Graduate Center
Prof Anthony Julian Tamburri, Dean of the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute (Queens College, CUNY)
Ms. Racheline Maltese, Media Tenor International
A conversation with Jody Williams|a-conversation-with-jody-williams|Thu, 23 Jan 2014 19:41:30 +0000|Events,Home Page,News,Uncategorized|en|
Jody Williams, the 1997 Nobel Peace Laureate, is coming to UN Headquarters for a conversation with UNAI members, especially students and faculty, on 11 February 2014. Organized as part of UNAI's Classroom Conversations series, Ms. Williams will speak about her own peace activism and discuss the real meaning of peace.
Ms. Williams, who chairs the Nobel Women's Initiative, has often talked about the real meaning of peace as something defined by human security, not national security.
In the 1980s, while studying at University of Vermont, Jody Williams became involved in aid work in war-torn El Salvador and Nicaragua, where she saw first hand the devastation caused by landmines. In 1992, she founded the International Campaign to Ban landmines, a citizens' initiative. In 1997, as a result of her relentless campaign, an International Treaty banning landmines was adopted. Currently, 161 countries are signatories to the treaty. In recognition of her efforts, Ms. Williams was awarded Nobel Prize for Peace in 1997.
Ms. Williams' memoir, My name is Jody Williams, has been published by the University of California Press (2013). Copies of the book will be available at UN Bookshop.
To participate in person, please register by sending an e-mail to academicimpact@un.org (Sub: Jody Williams).
The event will be webcast live and available at webtv.un.org. In the event you are unable to attend in person, we encourage you to participate online. You can send your questions or comments to the UNAI Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ImpactUN
UTech, Jamaica to host IAUP conference, 30 January - 1 February|utech-jamaica-to-host-iaup-conference-30-january-1-february|Fri, 24 Jan 2014 15:43:59 +0000|Events,Home Page,News,What's happening|en|The University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech) will host the first 2014 annual meeting of the International Association of University President's (IAUP) in Montego Bay, Jamaica from 30 January – 1 February 2014.The high-level three-day meeting will provide a forum for higher education leaders and institutions from around the world to identify and discuss the major issues and challenges facing higher education today within a global and cross-cultural context.
The IAUP, which is one of the founding partners of UNAI, is an association of university chief executive officers – presidents, rectors, vice chancellors and chancellors from higher education institutions around the world. Its primary purposes are to provide a worldwide vision of higher education; strengthen the international mission and quality of higher education throughout the world; promote academic exchange and collaboration and to promote networking and collaboration between leaders of universities, supporting sustainable development in a context of global competency.
Commenting on the significance of Jamaica's hosting of this international meeting, Prof. the Hon. Errol Morrison, OJ, President, UTech notes that it is very important for our country to be part of the dialogue on higher education in the global context, adding that it is irrefutable that higher education is what is needed to drive change and economic transformation.
For more information on the IAUP 2014 meeting, please visit the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech) website at http://www.utech.edu.jm/IAUP/
2014 CTAUN Conference at UN Headquarters, 31 January 2014|2014-ctaun-conference-at-un-headquarters-31-january-2014|Mon, 27 Jan 2014 15:22:18 +0000|Events DON'T EDIT,Events,Home Page,News,Uncategorized,What's happening|en|
Ever since the Charter of the United Nations was ratified on 24 October 1945, member states, NGOs, and civil society have worked together to solve international conflicts through diplomacy instead of through violence. Determined to save humankind from the horror of war, to reaffirm faith in human rights, to establish justice and respect for international law, and to promote social progress and better standards of life, they have promised to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors for the economic and social advancement of all peoples. Over the past six decades they have succeeded on many counts, but conflict and violence persist with increasing ferocity.
CTAUN invites educators, students, and concerned citizens to join with distinguished speakers as it explores how the UN and the international community promote disarmament and confront current threats to peace, such as climate change, gender and economic inequality, and hunger. Especially crucial is the number of children worldwide suffering the effects of violent conflict, including being deprived of even a primary education.
The conference will also consider programs promoting peace, such as UN Resolution 1325, the work of NGOs, and the Secretary General's Global Education First Initiative. It will highlight the need for education in nonviolent conflict management in the belief that every person, especially educators, can be builders of peace on individual, local, national and international levels.
To find more, please visit