<p><font color="#33711E"><strong>Day 3 – Session 6E: Role of Higher Education in Developing Regional Centres of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development</strong></font></p>

Saithip, 13:30 - 15:00

13:30 - 13:50

6.E.1. From Principles to Practice: Designing a University Outreach Programme for Community Empowerment

Danang Parikesit and Joko Prastowo

Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia

The development role of the university in the fast changing global economy has evolved towards university-community partnerships. There have been concerted efforts from various organizations, including universities and higher education institutions, toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development, as well toward facilitating development through ICT. Universities in both developed and developing countries are re-formulating their direct engagement with the local communities. In addition, attention has been paid to the framework upon which the partnership between universities and community should be based and developed. Further study needs to be undertaken, however, to demonstrate the practicability of approaches and the ability of the framework to be mainstreamed into higher education as well as wider development policy. This paper examines the development of students' community service work and a university outreach programme begun by Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in the early 1960's. Since its inception, the policy and implementation framework has been established as a model of university-community partnership for other Indonesian higher education institutions. This paper highlights the major policy change in the university community service work, including internationalization of the university outreach programme, provides case studies of best practice examples of the programme, and identifies the key success factors of university-community partnership. This paper also indicates the future role of Indonesian universities and higher education institutions in contributing to national and global development challenges.

Download the paper (pdf, 50kb) and presentation (pdf, 730kb)

13:50 - 14:10
6.E.2. Optimizing the RCE Framework for ESD in Higher Education: The Inside-out Approach by Universiti Sains Malaysia
Zainal Abidin Sanusi and Omar Osman
Universiti Sains Malaysia

The nature of the Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) concept to promote Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is tremendous, dynamic and full of opportunities given its evolving framework. As with any other measurement tool formed to bridge the international-local agenda, however, the strengths and weaknesses need to be fully articulated towards unleashing its full potential. While recognizing many possible factors, this paper focuses on the role of governance as the core variable to push for optimal benefit of RCE for ESD. The paper discusses the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) "inside-out approach" across its ESD initiatives. Some of the initiatives were carried out long before the inception of RCE Penang, under the University in the Garden concept, and the recent groups of activities were implemented in consideration of the previous initiatives with new impetus from the notion of Sustainable Development. The incoming programme of USM will also be discussed, so as to further highlight its trajectory in ESD especially in line with the USM's recently-awarded status as a Research University.

14:10 - 14:30
6.E.3. Sharing Expanding Worlds: Higher Education and RCE Cebu Partnerships
Rosario Piquero-Ballescas
University of the Philippines Visayas, Cebu College, Philippines

This paper shares the experiences of the Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Cebu, Philippines. The experiences relate to the active networking of partners from the universities with other sectors. Specifically, this report intends to share data and insights on the role of higher education institutions in the journey towards uniting the worlds of partners and stakeholders to promote education for sustainable development. Even before the inception of RCE-Cebu, independent individuals, groups and organizations, from various sectors, had already been contributing their responses to various issues concerning ESD. Some of these engagements will be briefly presented in this report. Together with a global partner, the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS), the University of the Philippines Cebu College called for a consultative assembly which subsequently paved the way for the formalization and creation of the present RCE-Cebu, composed of multi-sectoral partners. Highlights of the RCE-Cebu partnerships will be presented in this paper, particularly those focused the REPORMA-Cebu (Resource and Poverty Responses, Mapping and Management) being pursued through the initial "Camp 7 Forest Community" project supported by the Asia-Pacific Forum for Environment and Development (APFED) and the Institute for Global Environment and Strategies as well as the forest residents and local government of the municipality of Minglanilla in Cebu Province, Philippines.