Presentation about the Global University Network for Innovation (GUNi) with background and projects.

1. www.guninetwork.org
About GUNi and the Reports
UNESCO Chairs Meeting
Barcelona, 29th September 2015
#UNESCOChairs #HEIW6

2. Origins
 GUNi was created in 1999 after a meeting of UNESCO
Chairs in Higher Education held in Barcelona to give
continuity to and facilitate the implementation of the
main decitions taken at the World Conference of Higher
Education organized by UNESCO in Paris in 1998.
 GUNi was founded by UNESCO, UNU and UPC-
BarcelonaTech.
 GUNi was initially composed by the UNESCO Chairs in
Higher Education.

3. GUNi Today
 GUNi is an international network composed by 209
institutions in 78 countries.
 GUNi is supported by UNESCO, UNU and the Catalan
Association of Public Universities (ACUP)
 The Secretariat and Presidency is hosted by ACUP.
 GUNi is part of the Sant Pau Knowledge Center.

4. www.guninetwork.org
Higher Education
Institutions.
Research Centers in
Higher Education.
Networks related to
Higher Education.
UNESCO Chairs in Higher
Education.
Other UNESCO Chairs
and UNITWIN Networks.
209 institutions in 78 countries
The Network

5. Mission
To strengthen the role of higher education
in society contributing to the renewal of
the visions, missions and policies of higher
education across the world under a vision of
public service, relevance and social
responsibility.

6. Objectives
 To encourage Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to reorient their
roles for broadening their social value and contribution and
strengthen their critical stance within society.
 To help bridge the gap between developed and developing countries in
the field of higher education, fostering capacity-building and
cooperation North-South and South-South.
 To promote the exchange of resources, innovative ideas and
experiences, while allowing for collective reflection and
coproduction of knowledge on higher education emerging issues,
innovation, social responsibility and relevance in global scale.

7. Main Activities
GUNiSeminars
GUNiResearch
GUNiReports
GUNiNewsletter
18.000 reports
distributed in
130 countries.

8. www.guninetwork.orgwww.guninetwork.org
GUNi undertakes research projects by its own initiative or in
partnership with other institutions.
Delphi research on Leaders’ Perspectives on Financing Higher Education (2006).
With the participation of 73 experts in higher education.
Delphi research on Accreditation and Social Commitment (2007). With the
participation of 103 experts in higher education.
Higher Education Needs in Latin America (2007)
Report on Tertiary Education in Spain (2007)
Delphi Research: Higher Education for Human and Social Development (2008).
With the participation of 214 experts in higher education.
Higher Education tends in the world(2009)
“Breaking Barriers for transformation: from understanding to action”(2010-2011)
Regional Maps about the state of the art of higher education.
“Education for Sustainable Development in Sub-Saharan Higher Education
Institutions” (2009-2012)
“Community-university engagement initiatives: trends and progress” (2012-2013)
2015-2018: HEIRRI (Europe 2020), EnRRIch (both on “Responsible Research
and Innovation”)

9. www.guninetwork.orgwww.guninetwork.org
GUNi Regional Representatives
GUNi-Latin America and the Caribbean
Áxel Didriksson. President of GUNi-LAC
Professor, Universidad Autónoma de México
(MEXICO)
Denise Leite, Secretary of GUNi-LAC. Universidad
Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil)
GUNi – Arab States
Abdel Bagi Babiker. President of GUNi-AS. Dean of
the Arab Open University (KWAIT)
Secretariat: UNESCO Office in Beirut (Lebanon)
until June 2012
GUNi.Africa
Peter Okebukola. President of GUNi-Africa.
Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing
Council, Osun State University (NIGERIA)
Juma Shabani. Secretary of GUNi-Africa
Director, UNESCO Office in Bamako (MALI)
GUNi - Asia and the Pacific, Europe and
North America
In process of reconsideration.

10. www.guninetwork.orgwww.guninetwork.org
GUNi is sponsored by:
2004-2015 2010, 2011, 2012
2005-2012, 2015 2005-2012, 2014
2004 - 2009 2013-2015

11. www.guninetwork.orgwww.guninetwork.org
Legal and formal status
Agreement between UPC – ACUP (April 2014):
ACUP hosts the Secretariat
Financial framework: 25% Catalan Government; 25% City of
Barcelona; 25% UNIVERSIA; 25% Other
New Agreement
between UNESCO, UNU
and ACUP (February
2015). GUNi UNITWIN

12. www.guninetwork.orgwww.guninetwork.org
Working plan 2015-2016
VISION 2015: to fuse work at different levels on the
same subject: How can Higher Education
Institutions, at the same time, achieve involvement
and impact in the development of
their respective societies and in the achievement
of global goals (for example, Sustainable
Development Goals adopted by United Nations)?

13. www.guninetwork.org
A collective work published as part of the
GUNi Series on the Social Commitment of Universities.
It is the result of a global and regional analysis of higher
education in the world, with a specific subject chosen for each
edition.
HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE WORLD REPORT

14. www.guninetwork.org
Issues published:
• The Financing of Universities.
• Accreditation for Quality Assurance: What’s at
Stake?.
• Higher Education: New Challenges and
Emerging Goals for Human and Social
Development.
• Higher Education at a Time of Transformation:
New Dynamics for Social Transformation.
• Higher Education’s Commitment to
Sustainability: From Understanding to Action.
• Knowledge, Engagement and Higher
Education: Contributing to Social Change

15. www.guninetwork.org
Objectives:
• To reflect on key problems, emerging
issues and challenges that higher
education and its institutions are facing
today.
• To contribute to the renewal of ideas,
while generating visions and promoting
reflection in regards to the contribution of
higher education and knowledge society.
• To provide a toolbox for researchers,
policymakers and practitioners worldwide.

16. www.guninetwork.org
Higher Education at a Time of Transformation
New Dynamics for Social Responsibility
• Synthesis of the three precedent reports (2006, 2007,
2008).
• Commissioned by UNESCO for the World Conference
on Higher Education (WCHE2009).
• One of the three UNESCO global reports as official
materials for the conference

17. www.guninetwork.org
 320 authors from 53 countries
• 18.000 reports distributed in 130 countries.
• Last report has been presenting during 2014 in 38 events in 25
countries.
All the world regions
represented
32% Coming from
developing countries
45% are Women
Main figures about the GUNi World Reports

18. www.guninetwork.org
CONTENTS:
Introduction
The Context
Global Issues
Regional Perspective
• Inside Views (Sub-regional analysis)
• Spotlight Issues (theme analysis)
• Experiences of Networking
• Good Practices
Research
Future Visions
Statistics
Figures and maps
Bibliography

19. www.guninetwork.org
GUNiReports
The GUNi report has been published in:
• English: by Palgrave Macmillan (all the issues).
• Spanish: by Mundi-Prensa (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009).
• Chinese: by the University of Zhejiang (Hangzhou, China),
thanks to the Regional Office of GUNi in Asia and the
Pacific (2006, 2007, 2008).
• Portuguese: by the Universidade Pontificia Catolica do
Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (2009).

20. www.guninetwork.org
Pavelló Sant Leopold (S1)
Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau
Sant Antoni M. Claret, 167
08025 - Barcelona
 +34 93.401.70.09
info@guninetwork.org
www.guninetwork.org
THANK YOU VERY MUCH