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Conference Outcomes Report

Exploring the role of higher educationin advancing sustainable

development goals

SMARTGLOBALDEVELOPMENT

Higher education institutionsin the Global South havetremendous potential tocontribute directly andsubstantively to sustainableimprovements in qualityof life, inclusive economicgrowth, and good governance— but they require renewedattention and the right kindsof global financial andintellectual support to do so.

Contentsi Executive Summary

Introduction

1 Smart Global Development? Higher Education within a Global Development Agenda

2 The Smart Global Development Conference

Conference Objectives

Conference Participants

3 Program at a Glance

Day One | April 13, 2016

6 Opening Keynote Address: Smart Global Development Conference

7 Keynote Conversation: Unleashing the Power of Universities

Day Two | April 14, 2016

9 Opening Keynote Address: Higher Education within a Global Development Agenda

10 Plenary 1: Smart Global Connections

13 Parallel Session 1a: Teaching & Pedagogy

15 Parallel Session 1b: Research into Action

17 Parallel Session 1c: Community Engagement

19 Lunch & Learn 1: A University on the Roof of theWorld

19 Lunch & Learn 2: The Experience of a Non-profit Teaching Hospital in Northern Uganda

19 Plenary 2: Smart Global Approaches

21 Parallel Session 2a: Demonstrating Impact

23 Parallel Session 2b: Quality Assurance

24 Parallel Session 2c: Building Strong, Sustainable Universities

25 Plenary 3: Smart Global Investments

In Conclusion

29 Continuing the Smart Global Development Conversation

31 Global Youth Voices

33 About the Conference Sponsors

34 Acknowledgements

iSMART GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT | EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

14conference

sessions

238conferenceparticipants

20countries

represented

115webcast

participants

Executive Summary

In April 2016, Aga Khan Foundation Canada (AKFC),

AcademicsWithout Borders (AWB), and the International

Development Research Centre (IDRC) — with financial

support from the Government of Canada through

Global Affairs Canada — convened the Smart Global

Development conference at the Delegation of the

Ismaili Imamat in Ottawa.

The conference partners began with the premisethat higher education institutions in the Global Southhave tremendous potential to contribute directlyand substantively to sustainable improvements inquality of life, inclusive economic growth, and goodgovernance, but they require renewed attention andthe right kinds of global financial and intellectualsupport to do so. The response to the conference,and the range of global experience illuminatedthrough its 14 sessions, validated that premise.

Some 238 global thought leaders, policymakers, andpractitioners from 20 countries participated in theconference, including representatives from govern-ments, civil society organizations, academia, busi-ness, and the media. Another 115 individuals joinedthe live webcast of the keynote and plenary ses-sions. In their keynote addresses on day one and daytwo of the conference respectively, His Excellency theRight Honourable David Johnston, Governor Generalof Canada, and the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau,Canada’s Minister of International Developmentand La Francophonie, set the stage for thoughtfuldialogue on the intersections between higher edu-cation and global development. Keynote and plenarysessions are available through a video archive.

Four objectives informed the conference program:

� Examine the critical role of higher education insti-tutions in advancing sustainable, inclusive socialand economic development in the Global South

� Explore the larger role that universities play infostering leaders, change agents, and informedcitizens so as to strengthen governance, socialjustice, culture, and inclusive economic growth

� Review the range of approaches to buildinghigher education capacity in the Global South

� Assess current efforts to gather evidence of thedevelopment impact of investments in highereducation

Over the course of the conference, several recurrentthemes and recommendations emerged for the globalcommunity to consider as priorities for advancinghighereducation in support of development aims:

1. Higher Education and DevelopmentInnovation

Higher education institutions can play an integralrole in fostering development innovation by findingcreative ways to improve quality of life and buildmore inclusive, compassionate societies. We requirenew approaches, partnerships and resources, how-ever, to encourage, measure and evaluate innovationin that context.

We must look at a wider higher education ecosystem— including think tanks and post-secondary voca-tional and technical institutions — that promotesknowledge creation and capacity building in collab-oration with international organizations, donors, non-governmental organizations, universities, political par-ties, private associations, business, state, and media.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WySRSIgVle0&list=PLfYgWnafSUQbk9kSv9I1mhiyLpBOzvoDv

ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY | SMART GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT

STEM education and research are critical to advanc-ing the SDGs globally. Innovation, scientific discov-eries, and technological advances come throughrobust connections to global knowledge networks— but access to global fora and networking oppor-tunities remains a barrier for young scientists, schol-ars, and professionals from the Global South.

2. Inclusivity, Community Engagement,and Social Accountability

As the Governor General observed, Canada’s ownexperience in building strong, inclusive institutions— including learning institutions — is an ongoing,“learning in action” process, notably with regard toaboriginal education. While there is no single way tofoster inclusivity, two keys to success are leadershipand community engagement.

Higher education institutions have an essential roleto play in creating inclusive and safe spaces for dia-logue, critique, and debate that incorporate diversevoices and perspectives — and break down barriersfor women, youth, and marginalized communities.

For higher education institutions to contribute mean-ingfully to sustainable development, they must reachoutside the classroom and actively engage withcommunities. The concept of social accountabilitycan help define the role of higher education institu-tions within the communities in which they are sit-uated. With social accountability, the university orcollege explicitly commits to social accountability inits mandate — focusing its educational and researchefforts to address priority needs of the community.

3. Quality Matters

Minister Bibeau lauded the shift within the SustainableDevelopment Goals to a focus on quality education,not just access. Strategies for bridging the dividebetween quality and access (or scale) featuredthroughout the conference, including leveraging thecomplementary roles of public and private institutions;harnessing the potential of open education resources;and adopting new approaches to Quality Assurance toencourage innovation and ensure local relevance.

His Excellency the Right HonourableDavid Johnston, Governor General of Canada.

iiiSMART GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT | EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

4. Higher Education Opportunitiesin Conflict Zones and Fragile States

Humanitarian aid does not prioritize education, and theassistance given to that sector largely excludes highereducation initiatives. Universities and colleges mustrespond to this challenge with innovative approachesthat enable refugees and vulnerable communities tocontinue on their educational paths. As important asthe focus on higher education opportunities forwomen and girls is, we cannot increase their access atthe expense of young men and boys, particularly infragile states and conflict-affected communities.

5. The Education Continuum

To harness fully the potential of higher education in sup-port of sustainable global development, we must takea wider view of tertiary education as a system thatextends beyond universities. Providers of vocational,technical, and professional education — colleges, poly-technics, and similar institutions — are integral playersin that system and in every successful economy andsociety around the world. Higher education institutionscannot work in isolation: cooperation and coordina-tion across the spectrum is essential to provide countrieswith the skilled human resources, informed leadership,and expertise to find lasting development solutions.

We must also resist placing tertiary education incompetition with primary and secondary educationfor resources and support. In reality, higher educationinstitutions have an integral role to play in strength-ening education systems across the continuum;development strategies, programming, and policiesshould build upon that integral connection.

6. Higher Education as a Long-termInvestment in Local Institutions

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goalsrequires permanent, local institutional capacities andleadership. Building strong, sustainable institutions isa generational endeavour and requires expandedtimelines and a shift in expectations around demon-strating short-term results for investments in highereducation. It also requires the right kinds of financialand intellectual support: Investing in administrativecapacities, systems, and processes is essential forthose institutions to contribute fully to their studentsand their societies.

The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau,Canada’s Minister of International Developmentand La Francophonie.

iv EXECUTIVE SUMMARY | SMART GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT

7. Demonstrating Impact

To measure the impact of higher education onsustainable development, we must change bothterminology and approaches to monitoring and eval-uation. “Development impact”usually implies a largescale, sustainable change in the well-being of a pop-ulation and its environment. Because developmen-tal change depends on a confluence of actors andfactors, the focus should shift to evaluating contri-bution — rather than attribution.

Similarly, the emphasis in current approaches onshort-term, immediate outcomes obscures the long-term nature of higher education’s critical role inadvancing and sustaining development. Given thelong-term nature of investments in higher education,a shift toward intermediary outcomes — coupledwith some short-term metrics — may help betterpredict success over the longterm.

Continuing the Smart GlobalDevelopment Conversation

Conference delegates emphasized the need forsustained engagement on these sets of issues andidentified the following questions as a potentialframework for continuing that conversation:

� How can universities and colleges in the GlobalSouth engage more directly in the social andeconomic development of the communities inwhich they are situated, and what additionalcapacity might be necessary for them to do so?

� How can higher education institutions moreeffectively and deliberately advance women’sempowerment and gender equality — and breakdown the gendered barriers to participation?

� What can higher education institutions do toprovide refugees and youth in conflict-affectedor fragile areas with post-secondary learningand vocational opportunities?

� How should higher education institutions defineand ensure quality, particularly in view of thetensions between quality and access or scale?

� What methodologies, tools, or approaches couldstrengthen monitoring, evaluation, and learningaround the results of investments in higher edu-cation in support of development aims?

� How can institutions in the Global Southstrengthen access to relevant, high-quality voca-tional, technical, and professional education? Howmight they harness the global experience andexpertise of colleges and polytechnic institutes tobuild capacities and implement programs?

� What is the case for investing in private highereducation institutions in the Global South? Howcan private institutions help strengthen educa-tional quality, relevance, and capacities withinpublic institutions?

� What kinds of support and resources do highereducation institutions in the Global Southrequire to contribute more directly to improve-ments in primary and secondary educationsystems in their operating contexts?

� What types of public policies or reforms wouldcreate a more enabling environment for innova-tion, quality, and relevance within higher educa-tion institutions in the Global South?

� What are the appropriate funding mechanismsto support the various types of investmentsrequired for strong, vibrant, and relevant highereducation institutions in the Global South?

Higher education is an investment in the future, increating the expertise, resources, and leadership allsocieties require to achieve and sustain the GlobalGoals. Such investments in the higher education spacerequire patience: they are generational endeavours. Atthe same time, the fragilities we encounter across theglobe today are so severe that we urgently requirevibrant institutions of higher education to anchorprogress and serve as bulwarks against instability.While these concluding questions offer a road map forcontinued engagement, we must continue to makevery thoughtful and smart investments in highereducation to advance sustainable global development.

INTRODUCTION

Smart Global Development?Higher Education within a GlobalDevelopment Agenda

Across the world, universities play an integral role inthe social, economic, political, and cultural life ofcountries. They foster future leaders and profession-als. They develop an informed and engaged citizenrythat provides the foundation for democratic partici-pation and good governance. Universities are driversof social and economic development, repositories ofcultural heritage, research centres for expandinghuman knowledge, and innovation hubs. They areinstitutions that enable countries to participate inglobal conversations on the most pressing issuesfacing our world.

In the Global South, the potential for universities tocontribute directly and substantively to improveddevelopment, growth, and governance outcomes isarguably greatest. Access to quality higher educationopportunities is essential to foster future leaders insectors critical to growth and development; toadvance policymaking and practice; and to addresschallenges particular to developing and emergingeconomies.

Despite that potential, higher education in the GlobalSouth has received comparatively little attention andsupport from the global community over the pastseveral decades — particularly in comparison toinvestments in primary education and basic health.

The adoption of the 2030 Development Agenda,comprising 17 Sustainable Development Goals, bythe United Nations General Assembly in September2015, provides an opportunity to reconsider the roleof higher education in advancing these shared devel-opment aims at the local and global levels. In amarked change from the Millennium Development

Goals, which focused exclusively on primary educa-tion, Global Goal 4: Quality Education explicitlyaddresses access to all forms of quality tertiaryeducation, most notably in Target 4.3: “By 2030,ensure equal access for all women and men to afford-able and quality technical, vocational and tertiaryeducation, including university.”1

To seize that opportunity, the Smart Global Devel-opment conference brought together internationalexperts, thought leaders, policymakers, and practi-tioners for conversation and debate on strengthen-ing the capacities of higher education institutions inthe Global South to tackle critical developmentchallenges. In their keynote addresses on the first andsecond days of the conference respectively, HisExcellency the Right Honourable David Johnston,Governor General of Canada, and the HonourableMarie-Claude Bibeau, Canada’s Minister of Interna-tional Development and La Francophonie, set thestage for thoughtful dialogue on the intersectionsbetween higher education and global development.

This report highlights the notable observations, les-sons, and recommendations from the conferencedeliberations. It also encapsulates reflections fromyoung global scholars gathered prior to the confer-ence; and proposes a framework for continueddiscussion on how to integrate higher educationmore effectively into development policies, programdesign, and evaluation.

1SMART GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT

1. United Nations, Sustainable DevelopmentKnowledge Platform.

Access to quality higher educationopportunities is essential to fosterfuture leaders in sectors criticalto growth and development...

https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300

The Smart Global DevelopmentConferenceOn April 13-14, 2016, Aga Khan Foundation Canada(AKFC), Academics Without Borders (AWB), andthe International Development Research Centre(IDRC) convened the Smart Global Developmentconference at the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamatin Ottawa.

The Government of Canada, through Global AffairsCanada, provided financial support for the conference.

Conference Objectives

The conference began with the premise that highereducation institutions in the Global South havetremendous potential to contribute to sustainable,inclusive social and economic development. Throughfourteen sessions featuring global perspectives, expe-riences and case studies, the conference sought toidentify resources available to build capacities of uni-versities in developing and emerging economies; andidentify the best policies, practices and tools to do so.

Four objectives informed the conference program:

� Examine the critical role of higher educationinstitutions in advancing sustainable, inclusivesocial and economic development in theGlobal South

� Explore the larger role that universities play infostering leaders, change agents, and informedcitizens so as to strengthen governance, socialjustice, culture, and inclusive economic growth

� Review the range of approaches to buildinghigher education capacity in the Global South

� Assess current efforts to gather evidence of thedevelopment impact of investments in highereducation

Conference Participants

The Smart Global Development Conference gath-ered some 238 speakers and participants fromaround the world (137 women, 101 men), withanother 115 individuals (66 women, 49 men) joiningthe live webcast of the keynote and plenarysessions. Delegates came from 20 countries inAfrica, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, North and SouthAmerica — and included representatives from gov-ernments, civil society organizations, academia,the private sector, and the media.

2 SMART GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT

Participants by sector

23838%

Academia

Civil society

36%

13%

13%

Government

Private sector

Within academia, senior officials, faculty and studentsfrom 30 higher education institutions participated in theconference—including19Canadianuniversities andcolleges.Special student registration fees and the opportunity tovolunteer as student rapporteurs attracted thirty young schol-ars to the conference.

...higher education institutions inthe Global South have tremendouspotential to contribute tosustainable, inclusive social andeconomic development.

Program at a GlanceAll keynote and plenary sessions were webcast andare available through a video archive.

DAY ONE | APRIL 13, 2016

Webcasts: all day one sessions may be viewed here.

Welcome and Introductions

� Khalil Z. Shariff, Chief Executive Officer,Aga Khan Foundation Canada

� Jean Lebel, President,International Development Research Centre

OPENING KEyNOTE ADDRESS:

Smart Global Development Conference

His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston,Governor General of Canada

KEyNOTE CONVERSATION:

Unleashing the Power of Universities

� Eva Egron-Polak, Secretary General andExecutive Director, International Associationof Universities

� Leonard Wantchekon, Professor of Politics,Princeton University; Founder, the AfricanSchool of Economics, Benin

� Reeta Roy, President and CEO, The MasterCardFoundation

� Moderator: Greg Moran, Director of SpecialProjects, Higher Education Quality Councilof Ontario; Former Provost, Aga KhanUniversity; Provost Emeritus, Western University

DAYTWO | APRIL 14, 2016

Webcasts: Opening keynote addressand Plenary 1 | Plenary 2 | Plenary 3.

Welcome and Introductions

� Mahmoud Eboo, Diplomatic Representativeof His Highness the Aga Khan to Canada,Aga Khan Development Network

� Firoz Rasul, President, Aga Khan University

OPENING KEyNOTE ADDRESS:

Higher Education within a GlobalDevelopment Agenda

The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau,Minister of International Development andLa Francophonie

PLENARy 1:

Smart Global Connections

� Anna Glass, Managing Editor, InternationalJournal of African Higher Education

� Firoz Rasul, President, Aga Khan University

� Orazio Bellettini, Founder and ExecutiveDirector, FARO Group, Ecuador

� Samuel Pierre, Professor, École polytechniquede Montréal

� Moderator: Paul Davidson, Presidentand CEO, Universities Canada

PARALLEL SESSION 1A:

Teaching & Pedagogy

� Arshad Ahmad, Associate Vice President,Teaching and Learning, McMaster University;Director, McMaster Institute for Innovation andExcellence in Teaching and Learning

� Patricia B. Arinto, Dean and Professor (DistanceEducation & e-Learning), Faculty of Education,University of the Philippines – Open University

� Session Chair: Pierre Jury, Editorial Page Editor,Le Droit


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WySRSIgVle0&list=PLfYgWnafSUQbk9kSv9I1mhiyLpBOzvoDv

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WySRSIgVle0&t=107s&list=PLfYgWnafSUQa0mQxqVnbU3FDt-kZ9lwC5&index=9

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNsP1dQRt5E&list=PLfYgWnafSUQa0mQxqVnbU3FDt-kZ9lwC5&index=10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNsP1dQRt5E&list=PLfYgWnafSUQa0mQxqVnbU3FDt-kZ9lwC5&index=10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWgrEBCugvg&list=PLfYgWnafSUQa0mQxqVnbU3FDt-kZ9lwC5&index=8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8j16UCmTAQ&index=7&list=PLfYgWnafSUQa0mQxqVnbU3FDt-kZ9lwC5

PARALLEL SESSION 1B:

Research into Action

� K. Srinath Reddy, President, Public HealthFoundation of India and World Heart Foundation(in abstentia)

� Noni MacDonald, Professor, Department ofPediatrics, Dalhousie University; Co-founder,MicroResearch

� Zulfiqar Bhutta, Co-Director, Director ofResearch, Centre for Global Child Health, theHospital for Sick Children, Toronto; FoundingDirector of the Center of Excellence in Womenand Child Health, Aga Khan University

� Session Chair: Céline Cooper, Columnist,Montreal Gazette

PARALLEL SESSION 1C:

Community Engagement

� Emily Antze, Programs Administrator, BorderlessHigher Education for Refugees, Centre forRefugee Studies, York University

� Enriqueta Reston, Associate Professor, Scienceand Mathematics Education Department,University of San Carlos, Philippines

� Wendy Harris, President and CEO, CanadianExecutive Service Organization (CESO)

� Session Chair: Manon Cornellier, Editorialist,Le Devoir

LUNCH & LEARN:

A University on the Roof of theWorld

� David Agnew, President, Seneca Collegeof Applied Arts and Technology

� Mahmoud Eboo, Diplomatic Representativeof His Highness the Aga Khan to Canada,Aga Khan Development Network

� Shamsh Kassim-Lakha, Executive Chairman,Board Executive Committee, Universityof Central Asia

LUNCH & LEARN:

The Experience of a Non-profit TeachingHospital in Northern Uganda

� Dominique Corti, Chair, FondazionePiero e Lucille Corti, Italy; Honorary President,Teasdale-Corti Foundation, Canada

PLENARy 2:

Smart Global Approaches

� Barbara O. Schneeman, Higher EducationCoordinator, United States Agency forInternational Development

� Steven Davis, Executive Director, AcademicsWithout Borders

� Thierry Zomahoun, President and CEO, AfricanInstitute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS)Global Secretariat

� Moderator: David Agnew, President, SenecaCollege of Applied Arts and Technology



Demonstrating Impact

� Terry Smutylo, Senior Evaluation Specialist andFounder, Evaluation Unit at the InternationalDevelopment Research Centre

� Tricia Wind, Senior Program Specialist,International Development Research Centre

� Session Chair: Pierre Jury, Editorial Page Editor,Le Droit


Quality Assurance

� Greg Moran, Director of Special Projects, HigherEducation Quality Council of Ontario; FormerProvost, Aga Khan University; and ProvostEmeritus, Western University

� Tashmin Khamis, Director, Aga Khan UniversityNetwork of Quality Assurance and Improvement;President, The East African Higher EducationQuality Assurance Network

� Session Chair: Céline Cooper, Columnist,Montreal Gazette


Building Strong, Sustainable Universities

� Paul Davenport, Chair, Board of Governors,University of Rwanda; Former President,Western University and University of Alberta

� Robin Farquhar, President Emeritus,University of Winnipeg; Former President andVice-Chancellor of Carleton University

� Session Chair: Manon Cornellier, Editorialist,Le Devoir

PLENARy 3:

Smart Global Investments

� Barbara O. Schneeman, Higher EducationCoordinator, United States Agency forInternational Development

� Jean Lebel, President,International Development Research Centre

� Jeffrey Waite, Advisor, Education Global Practice,The World Bank

� Shamsh Kassim-Lakha, Executive Chairman,Board Executive Committee, University ofCentral Asia

� Moderator: Eva Egron-Polak, Secretary Generaland Executive Director, International Associationof Universities

Closing Remarks

� Khalil Z. Shariff, Chief Executive Officer,Aga Khan Foundation Canada


DAY ONE | APRIL 13, 2016

OPENING KEYNOTE ADDRESS:

Smart Global DevelopmentConference

HIS ExCELLENCy THE RIGHT HONOURABLEDAVID JOHNSTONGovernor General of Canada

Description

Inclusivity, Innovation, Diplomacy. With these threewords, His Excellency the Right Honourable DavidJohnston, Governor General of Canada, issued achallenge to participants gathered for the openingof the Smart Global Development conference. TheGovernor General inspired the audience to tacklekey questions of higher education and its role inadvancing sustainable, inclusive development byhighlighting efforts in Canada and globally, andreflecting on the role of partnerships in underwritingtransformative change.

Lessons, Recommendations, and Key Observations

� Canada’s own experience in building strong,inclusive institutions — including learning insti-tutions — is an ongoing, “learning in action”process, notably with regard to aboriginal edu-cation. While there is no single way to fosterinclusivity, two keys to success are leadershipand community engagement.

� As hubs of innovation and creativity, institutionsof higher education are ideally positioned tocontribute to sustainable development byfinding creative ways to meaningfully improvequality of life and build a more inclusive, com-passionate society.

� The diplomacy of knowledge — the process bywhich distinct peoples and cultures cometogether and improve lives by sharing knowl-edge across borders and disciplines — speaksto the importance of international collaborationbetween institutions of higher education toaddress development challenges.


� For further reflection:

• What does university innovation in supportof global development look like?

• Given the existing barriers that prevent highereducation institutions in the Global Southfrom harnessing their creative potential, howdo we allow that innate creativity to flourish?

• How can your organization make a uniquecontribution to a better world throughknowledge diplomacy?

KEYNOTE CONVERSATION:

Unleashing the Powerof Universities

Eva Egron-PolakSecretary General and Executive Director,International Association of Universities

Leonard WantchekonProfessor of Politics, Princeton University;Founder, the African School of Economics, Benin

Reeta RoyPresident and CEO, The MasterCard Foundation

Moderator: Greg MoranDirector of Special Projects, Higher EducationQuality Council of Ontario; Former Provost,Aga Khan University; Provost Emeritus,Western University

Description

Access to quality higher education opportunities inthe Global South is essential to foster future leadersin sectors critical to growth and development; tobuild an informed and engaged citizenry; to advancepolicymaking and practice; and to address chal-lenges particular to developing and emergingeconomies. This panel of global thinkers addressedthe question: How do we unleash that potential insupport of global development aims?

Their wide-ranging conversation touched on therole of universities in the education of ethical leaders;higher education and the Sustainable DevelopmentGoals; internationalization and the issue of “brain

drain”; and the value of strengthening connectionsbetween higher education institutions and the pri-vate sector, civil society, and communities.

Following an exchange between the panelists andthe audience, the Governor General offered somefinal thoughts on the evening’s deliberations.


� Higher education institutions have an essentialrole to play as “safe spaces” for civil, respectfuldialogue, critique, and debate that can uncovernew ways of doing things by bringing diverseperspectives and experiences together. At thesame time, some level of discomfort — a healthytension — is necessary to push individuals tothink outside the box.

� The lack of local research capacities with stronginstitutional backing to collect and analyze datalimit our ability to tackle poverty alleviation.African higher education institutions haveidentified this as a top priority. Internationalpartnerships can play a role in strengtheningthose capacities, with care taken to avoid theimposition of Western models of knowledgeand, in the African context, to redress the dearthof African researchers represented in publishedstudies on development in Africa.

� The transition from the Millennium Develop-ment Goals (MDGs) to the Sustainable Develop-ment Goals (SDGs) is especially significant forhigher education institutions, not only throughtheir inclusion in Global Goal 4. Achieving all theSDGs — and ensuring sustainability over time— requires permanent, local institutional capac-ities and leadership.


We set unrealistic timelines andunderestimate the complexityof development, both in terms ofbuilding the capacities of universitiesand in addressing issues of povertyand other challenges.

� We set unrealistic timelines and underestimatethe complexity of development, both in terms ofbuilding the capacities of universities and inaddressing issues of poverty and other chal-lenges. We need to shift our thinking from short-term project cycles to longer-term investments.

� Within the wider context of internationalization,the issue of “brain drain” is significant, both outof the country or region and, for universities inthe Global South, out of academia. We cannotpaper over this as “brain circulation”: it is nearlyalways one-way. Addressing this issue requiresefforts on several fronts:

• Building or strengthening local institutions inthose regions to provide the opportunitiesfor individuals to work in their areas ofexpertise in meaningful ways;

• For international student scholarship andexchange programs, reinforce the aspirationsof leadership and service to community; keepthe timeline for return open; and reinforce con-nections through summer internships/researchprojects or support for a yearly visit home;

• Expand the ways in which the diaspora canengage in the development work of highereducation institutions through joint researchand appointments, without adversely affectingthe roles and security of their local counterparts.

� For higher education institutions to contributemeaningfully to sustainable development, theymust reach outside the classroom and engagewith communities and the private sector. Inboth instances, these institutions must do abetter job of understanding the problemsindustries and communities are trying to solve.


• How do we create the “safe spaces” withinhigher education institutions that can fosteran environment where individuals are com-fortable enough to negotiate difference andchallenge existing ways of doing things?

• How do we ensure that women are included?


Keynote Conversation: Unleashing the Powerof Universities.

• What is the pipeline of talent required forindustries and sectors operating in largelyinformal economies — or undergoingprivatization?

• How do universities shift their relationshipwith local communities from one in whichinformation is extracted but never returned, toa partnership that harnesses local knowledgeand resources to solve real-life problems?

• How do we measure the impact of increasedaccess to higher education opportunities?

DAYTWO: April 14, 2016

OPENING KEYNOTE ADDRESS:

Higher Education within aGlobal Development Agenda

THE HONOURABLE MARIE-CLAUDE BIBEAUMinister of International Developmentand La Francophonie

Description

As Canada and the wider global community deter-mine how to support the Sustainable DevelopmentGoals and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, MinisterBibeau highlighted the place of inclusive, equitablequality education and lifelong learning opportunitiesin meeting those shared objectives. The ministerlauded the shift within the SDGs to a focus on qual-ity education, not just access, and urged conferencedelegates to reflect on how to support educationalopportunities in conflict zones and fragile states, andhow break down barriers and broaden opportunitiesfor women and youth.


� Inclusive, equitable, quality education and life-long learning opportunities for all will requirebold, innovative solutions. Governments, civilsociety, academia, and the private sector eachhave a role to play in opening the door tohigher education opportunities.

� Given finite resources, new approaches tostrengthen access to quality higher educationmust catalyze private sector investment andinclude new metrics to encourage, measureand evaluate innovation in our policies, partner-ships and programming.

� Lifelong learning opportunities — includingequal access to quality vocational training, dis-tance learning and higher education — are vitalfor developing countries to engage in theglobal knowledge economy.

� Half of the world’s out-of-school children live inconflict zones and fragile states. Too manyrefugees globally have had their studies inter-rupted. Universities and colleges must respondto this challenge with innovative approaches —from teacher training that creates portableteaching capacities, to open source learningplatforms, distance education, and low-costmobile technologies, which can help youthcontinue on their educational path.

� Universities and colleges exist because theyseek understanding, dialogue, and inquiry.These are essential to vibrant and peacefulsocieties.

� The fundamental mission of higher educationinstitutions is to create the next generation ofleaders, citizens, and change agents who cantackle the social, economic, political and envi-ronmental challenges facing their countries.

� Higher education institutions advance develop-ment through research, monitoring, and impactassessment — as well as by engaging withcommunities.

�SMART GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT

Higher education institutionsadvance development throughresearch, monitoring, and impactassessment—as well as by engagingwith communities.


• For all involved in higher education: we needto rethink how we design programs, andwho is involved in their design and imple-mentation.

• How can we break down silos between insti-tutions and practitioners to better facilitatelifelong learning?

PLENARY 1:

Smart Global Connections

Anna GlassManaging Editor, International Journal of AfricanHigher Education

Firoz RasulPresident, Aga Khan University

Orazio BellettiniFounder and Executive Director, FARO Group,Ecuador

Samuel PierreProfessor, École polytechnique de Montréal

Moderator: Paul DavidsonPresident and CEO, Universities Canada

Description

Drawing on their experience with higher educa-tion institutions in Africa, Asia, Latin America, theCaribbean, and Canada, the panel explored theways in which higher education institutions in theGlobal South contribute to sustainable, inclusivesocial and economic development. What are thecurrent barriers that prevent those institutions fromeffectively addressing key development challenges?What are some solutions that will allow us to over-come those barriers?


� For higher education to contribute to sustain-able development, we must recognize that itsprincipal objective should not be to conveycontent but to develop qualities of mind, criticalthinking and values. Accordingly, higher educa-tion outcomes have a much longer timelinethan labour market needs.


• When we speak of the role of higher educa-tion institutions in creating work-ready grad-uates, we should think of “employability” lessin terms of specialized knowledge or skillsthan of flexibility.

� A key barrier that prevents universities fromcontributing effectively to development inmany contexts is the fragility, or inconsistency,of their regulatory and operating environments.We cannot overlook the need for strong policiesand frameworks, freedom from corruption orpolitical interference, secure spaces for dialogueand critique, and sufficient resources to attractand retain students and faculty.

� The very presence of a higher education insti-tution provides significant social, cultural, andeconomic benefits that extend well beyondthe knowledge and skills of its graduates or thenumber of individuals it employs. We havemany studies that quantify and assess thesebenefits for university campuses in Canada andelsewhere in the Global North, but few compa-rable efforts to do so within the context ofdevelopment policy and planning in theGlobal South.

� A key challenge is the state of research capacityin developing countries. This leads in manyinstances to unequal partnerships betweenhigher education institutions in the GlobalNorth and the Global South. How do weaddress those inequalities?

• How do we ensure that the knowledgegenerated by higher education institutions

ultimately benefits the communities impli-cated in the research? How are researchersfrom local or foreign institutions accountableto those communities?

� The elites in developing countries are often illequipped to address development challengesbecause their higher education takes placeabroad, in Europe or North America. The prob-lem extends beyond “brain drain”; even whenthose elite students return home, their highereducation experience has not prepared them toaddress the development needs (and opportu-nities) in their country.

� The wealth and well-being of societies increas-ingly depend on their ability to produce, distrib-ute, and exploit knowledge: this is what the“knowledge economy” means. Universities can-not solve development challenges alone: Themost effective way to address social, economic,and environmental challenges is to enhancesocieties’ capacities to collaborate in the pro-duction, dissemination and use of knowledge.

• We must look at a wider higher educationecosystem — which includes think tanks andpost-secondary vocational and technical insti-tutions — that promotes knowledge creationand capacity building with internationalorganizations, donors, non-governmentalorganizations, universities, political parties, pri-vate associations, business, state, and media.

• Within that ecosystem, universities can playan important role, but to do so we mustcomplement the discipline-centred univer-sity model with a challenge-driven universitymodel in which students use a more inter-disciplinary approach to solve programs –working with organizations in other sectors.

� Two concepts may be useful to connect the roleof higher education institutions within the com-munities in which they are situated. The firstconcept is social accountability, in which the uni-versity explicitly commits to social accountabilityin its mandate — dedicating its educational and


Themost effective way to addresssocial, economic, and environmentalchallenges is to enhance societies’capacities to collaborate in theproduction, dissemination anduse of knowledge.

research efforts to priority needs of the commu-nity. The second is alternative international stan-dards, which focus the assessment of graduateson whether they possess the relevant knowledge,skills, and commitment to serve the community.

• Social accountability is a real issue. A surveyin Latin America found that universitiesranked very low in terms of community trustin institutions, because of the opacity of theirwork and the perception that they serve onlythe elite and do not give back what they takefrom the community (knowledge).

• When we talk about transparency of institu-tions, we often think in terms of the financialtransparency. Social accountability goesbeyond this. One way to move beyond this isto look at the services that a higher educa-tion institution can provide to a community.If institutions can demonstrate the value ofthese services for the quality of life of thecommunity, then the question of qualitybecomes easier to address, and issues offunding become easier to address.

� On the question of quality versus quantity (oraccess), frank discussion is particularly difficultin the Global South. It is hard for a governmentofficial or education minister to say anythingbut “the more students the better.”

• Increasing understanding and support forthe focus on quality has to start from ashared understanding, supported by evi-dence, of the outsized impact that even afew high-quality graduates can have on asector or country.

• Online education, such as massive openonline courses (MOOCs), and other newtechnologies offer great promise forstrengthening higher education — notablyin terms of access, but also for quality. Thatsaid, with online and technology-enhancedlearning, two key challenges are particularlyrelevant to developing country contexts.First, faculty need to be ready to adopt a verydifferent pedagogy, so institutions must

Plenary1: Smart Global Connections.


invest in their professional development.Students as well are not equipped to learn inthis much more self-directed way and tosucceed in the online environment. Second,in many contexts, reliable electricity andbroadband are not available.

� An example in one profession highlightsanother dimension of the quality issue: Africasuffers from a lack of engineering talent, a gapthat rapid urbanization across the continent willonly exacerbate. If we remain focused on quality— which is critical for the engineering field —how can we start to address this dearth?

• Outmoded higher education policies pose amajor obstacle in this regard. For example,some countries do not permit highly skilledprofessionals without PhDs to serve as “pro-fessors of practice” — an increasingly com-mon role in universities in the Global North.As a result, students do not benefit fromteachers with real-life, applied experience;they only learn theory.

� We should not lose sight of Minister Bibeau’sremarks on educational opportunities for youthin fragile or conflict-affected states and inrefugee camps. As noted recently by UNESCO ,humanitarian aid does not prioritize education,and the assistance given to that sector largelyexcludes higher education initiatives.

• As important as the focus on higher educa-tion opportunities for women and girls is, wecannot increase their access at the expenseof young men and boys, particularly in fragilestates and conflict-affected communities.


• Industry demands “job-ready” graduates, butwhat is the role of the university or college increating graduates ready to contribute morebroadly to society? If higher education insti-tutions focus exclusively on preparing thejob seekers, who will prepare the job cre-ators? What role do universities play inwealth creation?

• What models or mechanisms of researchsupport that exist in Canada or elsewheremight help us identify solutions for support-ing research in the Global South?

• While much of the discussion at the confer-ence has focused on universities and youth,we must address the large populations ofadults who have not had access to highereducation opportunities. How can universi-ties and colleges better provide lifelonglearning or expanded access to higher edu-cation for adult learners?


Teaching & Pedagogy

Arshad AhmadAssociate Vice President, Teaching and Learning,McMaster University; Director, McMaster Institute forInnovation and Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Patricia B. ArintoDean and Professor (Distance Education ande-Learning), Faculty of Education, University ofthe Philippines – Open University

Session Chair: Pierre JuryEditorial Page Editor, Le Droit

Description

This session highlighted pedagogical approaches orinnovations in teaching and learning relevant tothe needs of universities in the Global South — andto the ability of those institutions to foster the trans-formative future leaders and change agents who


If higher education institutionsfocus exclusively on preparing thejob seekers, who will prepare the jobcreators? What role do universitiesplay in wealth creation?

can contribute to social and economic development.In particular, the panel and audience drew uponexperience with open education resources (OER)and massive open online courses (MOOCs).


� Two questions help to frame the context andurgency for rethinking the pedagogicalapproaches and tools we use to expand accessto quality higher education opportunities thatare relevant to the development challengesfacing societies in the Global South.

• What are the key educational gaps facing ourworld? Oxfam recently reported that some85 individuals own more than the combinedwealth of 2.75 billion people — or half of theworld. The wealth gap connects with theeducation gap in the Global South. We mustclose the education gap in order to addresssocial and economic inequalities. If we beginto frame these gaps in terms of educationalopportunity, what can we do to resolve them?

• We have a treasure trove of theories andframeworks about the science of learning,but precious little translated for practitionersto use in the classroom. Why are we unableto translate findings from research into good,evidence-based practice?

� Coursera claims to serve 18,000,000 learners and,like edX, its reach is continuing to grow.2 Theseplatforms are having significant impact on peda-gogy, disrupting traditional teaching and learn-ing. By participating in the design, development,and delivery of these open education resources,higher education institutions in the Global Southhave the opportunity to serve an expandedrange of learners beyond the campus.

2. Coursera is a venture-backed, for-profit, educationaltechnology company that offers massive online opencourses (MOOCs). Coursera works with universities andother organizations to make some of their courses –across a wide range of disciplines – available online.Established by the Massachusetts Institute of Technol-ogy and Harvard University, edX is a non-profit MOOCprovider and runs on open-source software.


� For developing countries, open educationresources (OER) can be particularly beneficial. Notonly are they more affordable and more accessi-ble, but, done well, they can actually improve thequality of teaching and learning. OER have highpotential because they can offer currency, rele-vance and range — but only if those resourcesare developed specifically for those contexts.

� Recent developments in open education,specifically OER and MOOCs, in the Philippines(and, by extension, to other countries that arepart of a wider Research on Open Education

Resources for Development network) are bridg-ing the education and translation gaps.

� As the experience in the Philippines has shown,OER and MOOCs have enabled universities toengage with members of the diaspora commu-nity — individual learners who wish to stayconnected culturally or to develop or maintainknowledge and skills relevant to economicopportunities in their country of origin.

� For open education resources and technologyto expand access to quality educational oppor-tunities that relate to local needs and develop-ment challenges, we need to foster and supportchampions within institutions in the GlobalSouth. As noted elsewhere, integrating OER intohigher education institutions requires differentpedagogical approaches — and faculty can beresistant to change.


Research into Action

K. Srinath ReddyPresident, Public Health Foundation of India andWorld Heart Foundation (in abstentia)

Noni MacDonaldProfessor, Department of Pediatrics, DalhousieUniversity; Co-founder, MicroResearch

Zulfiqar BhuttaCo-Director, Director of Research, Centre for GlobalChild Health, the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto;Founding Director of the Center of Excellence inWomen and Child Health, Aga Khan University

Session Chair: Céline CooperColumnist, Montreal Gazette

Description

How can higher education institutions tackle thecritical health challenges facing the Global South,applying new knowledge and breakthroughs toimprove health outcomes at the regional, national,or community level? Three eminent researchershighlight a range of distinctive approaches throughwhich academic centres are directly contributing toimproved health outcomes in the societies in whichthey are situated.


� The purpose of public health research is to pro-vide evidence-based, context-specific, resource-optimizing, culturally compatible, and equity-promoting recommendations for policy andpractice. Within this context, the role of universi-ties is crucial in both developing the knowledgeand building the capacities to apply that knowl-edge to address health challenges. Universitiescan only contribute to change by being part ofthe solution. Highlighting problems will onlytake you so far.

� While university-led research contributedtoward significant progress on some targetsunder the Millennium Development Goals


For open education resources andtechnology to expand access toquality educational opportunitiesthat relate to local needs and develop-ment challenges, we need to fosterand support champions withininstitutions in the Global South.

(MDGs), when disaggregated by geographywithin the developing world, the data showstremendous inequality in outcomes. In remote,rural, or conflict-affected areas scant progresshas been made — an outcome that aligns withthe distribution of health professionals andhealth care coverage. In Pakistan, for example,84 percent of pediatricians are located in eighturban centres, and some 200 million peoplehave no access to basic health care. The chal-lenge for universities is to help establish systemsand build the leadership and practitioner capac-ities that can reach those underserved areas.Research plays an integral role in that effort.

� Through collaboration with a variety of actors— from governments at the local and nationallevel, the World Health Organization, health pro-fessionals, and communities — universities canlead in the translation, monitoring, and evalua-tion of research into action.

� In order for research to be transformative, itmust root itself in interdisciplinary methods(biomedical, health economics, health systems,and social sciences) and cost-effective practice.

It also must represent a full range of stakehold-ers, from governments to civil society organiza-tions, to academia, and to industry leaders.

� A persistent challenge is that new health knowl-edge is not applied at the community level. Atop-down approach to knowledge translationfails to reach communities and does not reflectthe local culture, context, or resources availablethere. Ultimately, healthcare professionalsembedded in these communities are betterplaced for knowledge translation at that locallevel, but they need to have resources to helpthem navigate the larger trends. A microresearchapproach repositions that knowledge genera-tion, translation, and application at the locallevel. Based on the principles of microfinance,with an emphasis on producing quality healthresearch in community-based contexts, multi-disciplinary research teams are broughttogether in two-week trainings and develop aresearch project while attending workshopsand receiving coaching about methodologies,proposal development, and publishing. Workingwithin local contexts creates a new paradigm


for research operations that have positivespillover effects such as promoting leadershipand gender equality.

� Partnerships are necessary for this work, particu-larly for building political will to investigateissues. Working within government systems —for example training community health workers— is critical for sustainability, but it is a slowprocess and can be challenging gain govern-ment support.

� Conflict-affected areas present further challengesfor translating research into action. In theseinstances, it is even more critical to have localpeople engaged in the decision-making processand in identifying locally relevant solutions.

� The nature of public health training needs tochange in order to create “t-shaped individuals”that combine transdisciplinary academic think-ing and real world possibilities.


Community Engagement

Emily AntzePrograms Administrator, Borderless HigherEducation for Refugees, Centre for Refugee Studies,York University

Enriqueta RestonAssociate Professor, Science and MathematicsEducation Department, University of San Carlos,Philippines

Wendy HarrisPresident and CEO, Canadian Executive ServiceOrganization (CESO)

Session Chair: Manon CornellierEditorialist, Le Devoir

Description

What are the ways in which universities and theirpartners can extend development dividends beyondthe campus? This session featured three different ini-tiatives through which local higher education insti-

tutions sought to address community-identifiedneeds in partnership with a range of stakeholders.They included a project to improve apiculture in thePhilippines; one providing tertiary education oppor-tunities for teachers in the Dadaab refugee camp inKenya; and a third focused on strengthening matheducation at the K-12 level in the Philippines.


� Generating economic value is key to sustainabledevelopment. Essential components for sup-porting economic development includes inclu-sive and equitable private sector development,support of local government improvements,and partnerships with universities. The CanadianExecutive Service Organization’s approach is toprovide experts who work in mentorship andadvisory capacities with local partners to shareexperience, unlock intellectual capital, and buildlocal capacity. The apiculture project in thePhilippines has led to a revitalization of thehoney industry, increased education for farmers,increased food security in the region andincreased the profile of agriculture within thecountry.

� The University of San Carlos project, undertakenin partnership with Academics Without Borders,highlights the critical role that universities canplay in strengthening primary and secondaryeducation, as well as the importance of fullyengaging the education community in such ini-tiatives. The project engaged in-service teachersthroughout the project cycle, from needs assess-ment to training to post-implementation surveys.


Conflict-affected areas present furtherchallenges for translating researchinto action. In these instances, it isevenmore critical to have localpeople engaged in the decision-making process and in identifyinglocally relevant solutions.

� The Borderless Higher Education for Refugees(BHER) program responds to the need for terti-ary education for working, but untrained, teach-ers in the refugee camp. The initiative offers sev-eral strategies to meet higher education needsin fragile or conflict-affected areas. Flexibility iscritical to overcome the challenges of the localteachers’ unstable living situation. BHER learningcentres enable students to access courses closeto the camp as well as through distance learn-ing — and financial assistance for transporta-tion to the centres addresses safety concerns forfemale participants. Students can apply coursecredits to various levels of certification, allowingthem to work gradually towards full degrees.Affirmative action in selection and delivery hasencouraged female participation.

� A train-the-trainer/ train-the-teacher approach— reflected in all three initiatives — embedsthe capacities necessary to sustain outcomesbeyond the life of the project within the com-munity and, over time, potentially expand toother areas.

� Short-term funding cycles do not reflect thetime required to build local capacities over thelong-term, particularly in the context of theBHER project. While the national universities areopening up courses for distance learning byrefugees, the reality is that refugees will have adifficult time accessing these on their own with-out ongoing support.

� Initiatives beyond the campus can provide ben-efits to students on campus. In the educationinitiative in the Philippines, graduate studentshave the opportunity to learn from the K-12teachers; in the BHER project, through onlinecourse participation with the Dadaab teachers,students at the partner universities are chang-ing their attitude towards the refugee camps.

� Community engagement includes involvement inprogram development, delivery and governance.


LUNCH & LEARN 1:

University on the Roof of theWorld

David AgnewPresident, Seneca College of Applied Arts andTechnology

Mahmoud EbooDiplomatic Representative of His Highness theAga Khan to Canada, Aga Khan DevelopmentNetwork

Shamsh Kassim-LakhaExecutive Chairman, Board Executive Committee,University of Central Asia

Description

This session marked the formal launch of a partner-ship between Seneca College, Toronto, and the Uni-versity of Central Asia (UCA), a unique higher educa-tion initiative in a region of tremendous geo-politicalsignificance, but one that remains largely unfamiliarto most Canadians. Dr. Shamsh Kassim-Lakha, Exec-utive Chairman of UCA and President David Agnewof Seneca College shared their perspectives on thisinnovative collaboration on the roof of the worldprior to the official partnership signing ceremony.

LUNCH & LEARN 2:

The Experience of a Non-profitTeaching Hospital in NorthernUganda

Dominique CortiChair, Fondazione Piero e Lucille Corti, Italy;Honorary President, Teasdale-Corti Foundation,Canada

Description

Dr. Dominique Corti presented an overview of thehistory of the St. Mary’s Lacor Hospital, a private,non-profit hospital founded in 1959 and located nearGulu in northern Uganda. She outlined the difficultcircumstances in which this hospital has operated, attimes as the sole health care provider in a largely ruralregion decimated by a long civil war, which saw over95% of the local population displaced. She traced the

evolution of Lacor Hospital from a small facility with30 beds into the second largest hospital in the coun-try, with three peripheral health centres that togethertreat over 250,000 patients a year. Dr. Corti alsodescribed how, at the request of the Government ofUganda, Lacor Hospital has developed to a full teach-ing hospital site affiliated with the Gulu UniversityFaculty of Medicine.

PLENARY 2:

Smart Global Approaches

Barbara O. SchneemanHigher Education Coordinator, United StatesAgency for International Development

Steven DavisExecutive Director, Academics Without Borders

Thierry ZomahounPresident and CEO, African Institute for Mathemati-cal Sciences (AIMS) Global Secretariat

Moderator: David AgnewPresident, Seneca College of Applied Arts andTechnology

Description

The panel compared strategies and approachesto strengthen higher education in support of devel-opment aims, drawing on the perspectives of arange of institutions that seek to strengthen highereducation in the Global South: a Canadian volunteer-sending organization, a donor agency, and a multi-faceted initiative to strengthen science, technology,engineering and mathematics (STEM) educationand research in Africa. Do these strategies representdifferent paths to shared objectives? What are the les-sons for policymakers, development practitioners,and academic leaders?


� For sustainability, we must look at approachesthat “train the trainer”, whether it be facultydevelopment or support to build the adminis-trative capacities of higher education institu-tions. Small investments in these areas can have

1�SMART GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT

a cascading impact on the quality and capaci-ties of institutions in the Global South.

� STEM education and research will be critical toadvancing the Sustainable Development Goalsin the Global South. Africa will not transformwithout STEM education and research, but, atpresent, less than 25 percent of African studentsgo into STEM fields at the tertiary educationlevel, and no African government spends morethan one percent of GDP on research and devel-opment. As a result, less than one percent ofglobal research output comes from Africa, eventhough African research output has more thantripled over the last decade.

� Annually, more than 11 million young peopleenter the labour market in Sub-Saharan Africa.Something must change urgently within thesphere of higher education to transition theseyouth into the economy and society.

� Science is global. Major discoveries and techno-logical advances come through collaborationand connection to global knowledge networks.For Africa’s young scientists, however, many bar-riers prevent them from accessing these net-works of their peers globally. We must thereforelook at how to bring these global fora and net-working opportunities to Africa. The “smartglobal development” conversation must con-tinue in the Global South.

� Donor agencies and host countries do notalways identify higher education as a priority.They want the outcome (e.g., increased foodsecurity), but they do not always recognize thevehicles needed to get there. Higher educationis not the only vehicle, but it is a crucial one.When you argue for the need for greaterevidence-based decision-making, you makethe case for investment in higher education.

Plenary 2: Smart Global Approaches.


� As identified in USAID’s 2009 education strategy,among the foremost challenges hinderingprogress on higher education in the GlobalSouth are: rising costs of higher education; thedemographic “youth bulge”; and unequal accesson a number of fronts (urban/ rural, income/socio-economic status, gender, disability,fragile states).

� When fostering STEM education and research inthe Global South, we need to make space forcuriosity-driven science, not just need-basedscience. In sum, we need to support the fullspectrum of science.

� We must not assume that actors in diverse con-texts understand and approach public-privatepartnerships (PPPs) in the same way — or pos-sess the necessary capacities for successfulPPPs. Some cases require capacity developmentto create an enabling environment for suchcooperation.

� For further reflection;

• While centres of excellence and qualityopportunities are essential in the GlobalSouth, the reality is that the majority of stu-dents will be educated in large, underfundedpublic institutions. How can private initiativesor other approaches help to strengthenthose institutions? Is it possible to scale upthese models?


Demonstrating Impact

Terry SmutyloIndependent Evaluation Specialist; Founder, EvaluationUnit, International Development Research Centre

Tricia WindSenior Program Specialist, InternationalDevelopment Research Centre

Session Chair: Pierre JuryEditorial Page Editor, Le Droit

Description

How can we more effectively gather, evaluate andcommunicate the development impact or results ofinvestments in higher education? Demonstratingdevelopment impact is a challenge for those work-ing to strengthen the capacities of higher educa-tion institutions to contribute to development goalsfor two reasons. First, this work is far from the front-lines of changing peoples’ well-being. Second, asdevelopment change depends on a confluence ofactors and factors, direct attribution is rarely feasible.This workshop-style session led participants througha series of questions and exercises, drawing outexamples from their own work to examine how wecan more effectively assess and communicate thecontributions of higher education to development.


� To measure the development impact of invest-ments in higher education in the Global South,we must change both our terminology andthinking about monitoring and evaluation.

� Developmental change involves a confluence ofactors and factors. It is beyond control (but sub-ject to influence) and is valued differentlydepending on perspective. It can be incremen-tal or cumulative (tipping points), but it can alsobe non-linear, emergent, or discontinuous.

� “Impact” implies causality or attribution by iso-lating the effects of an intervention from otherinfluences and factors. It is also defined differ-ently in different contexts for various purposes.


... the majority of students will beeducated in large, underfundedpublic institutions. How can privateinitiatives or other approaches helpto strengthen those institutions?

“Development impact” usually implies a largescale, sustainable change in the well-being of apopulation and its environment. Because devel-opmental change depends on a confluence ofactors and factors, the focus should shift to eval-uating contribution — rather than attribution.

� Two frameworks allow us to look at orders ofoutcome and spheres of influence as methodsof determining the contributions of an interven-tion to developmental change:

• Stephen Olsen’s (2014) domains of develop-mental change provide a framework thatidentifies multiple actors within and aroundan intervention, with orders of outcome anddeepening development results. The ordersof outcome are: creating enabling conditions(resources contracts, policies and programs,capacities); implementation (actions basedon enabling conditions); achievements(desired social and environmental processesestablished); and dynamic sustainable bal-ance (well-being in human society and itsenvironment).

• Recognizing the limits of our influence, mov-ing from our sphere of control (project orprogram), to our sphere of influence (part-ners), to our sphere of interest (beneficiaries).

� The emphasis in current approaches on short-term, immediate outcomes obscures the long-term nature of higher education’s critical role inadvancing and sustaining development. Giventhe long-term nature of investments in highereducation, a shift toward intermediary out-comes — coupled with some short-term met-rics — may help better predict success over thelong-term.

� Collaboration with other partners or actorswithin the sphere of influence of your highereducation initiative may provide a means tobetter connect development gains with theproject or program.



Quality Assurance

Greg MoranDirector of Special Projects, Higher EducationQuality Council of Ontario; Former Provost, Aga KhanUniversity; Provost Emeritus, Western University

Tashmin KhamisDirector, Aga Khan University Network of QualityAssurance and Improvement; President, The EastAfrican Higher Education Quality Assurance Network

Session Chair: Céline CooperColumnist, Montreal Gazette

Description

How do we define and measure quality in the con-text of higher education? Are there tensions betweeninternational standards and local relevance, and howdo we resolve them, particularly for institutions in theGlobal South with limited resources and capacities inquality assurance (QA)? Drawing on experiences inthe East African context, this panel explored con-nections between innovation, learning outcomes,and local relevance in QA processes.


� In the global higher education context, twoforces require new approaches and innovationin quality assurance: the massification of highereducation and widening participation.

� Quality assurance plays an essential role instrengthening the ability of higher education

institutions to advance sustainable develop-ment. It requires a deliberate process of capac-ity building. QA helps to identify whereresources are needed most and involves a learn-ing outcome approach, based on the question,“What are the outcomes you want to achieve?”

� At the same time, QA may discourage innova-tion, imposing standards that can stand in theway of an institution’s local relevance. A “onesize fits all” model ignores the very differentcontexts in which universities operate, notablywhere community engagement functionsdifferently.

� East Africa offers an important example of thehow QA processes can ensure high standardsand local relevance. Among the key challengesfacing higher education in East Africa are risingenrolment without a corresponding rise in thenumber of educators; a dearth of soft skills ingraduates of local institutions; and limitedregional and international mobility of studentsand graduates. The proposed solution is the har-monization of education systems, following amodel developed by Aga Khan University that:

• Provides an enhanced learning environmentthrough the development of distributednetworks

• Integrates networks of quality, teaching, andlearning

• Builds ownership through consultation

• Creates inclusive, supportive, and safe spacesfor the faculty

• Improves focus and self-assessment

� Different types of institutions require differenttypes of quality assurance (graduate, under-graduate, comprehensive research). It is criticalfor institutions to own QA standards andprocesses to make the practice sustainable.

� Accreditation and QA are interconnected andshould be aligned.

� QA processes contribute to students and faculty,facilitating exchange, credit transfers, and col-laboration with international universities.


Different types of institutions requiredifferent types of quality assurance(graduate, undergraduate,comprehensive research). It iscritical for institutions to own QAstandards and processes tomakethe practice sustainable.


Building Strong, SustainableUniversities

Paul DavenportChair, Board of Governors, University of Rwanda;President, Western University and University ofAlberta

Robin FarquharPresident Emeritus, University of Winnipeg; FormerPresident and Vice-Chancellor, Carleton University

Session Chair: Manon CornellierEditorialist, Le Devoir

Description

Investing in administrative capacities, systems, andprocesses is an essential, but often overlooked com-ponent of strengthening the ability of higher edu-cation institutions to advance sustainable develop-ment goals. Using their experience with institutionalcapacity building in Rwanda as a case study, thepanelists illuminated the integral connections

between building administrative and operationalcapacities and improvements in academic qualityand relevance to national development priorities.


� The case study detailed an Academics WithoutBorders (AWB) initiative that provided Canadianexpertise to the Government of Rwanda to helpamalgamate previously separate publicproviders of post-secondary education at thedistrict, state, and national level into a nationalinstitution, the University of Rwanda.

� The four broad objectives of the merger asdefined by the Government of Rwanda were:improve academic quality; effectively respondto current national and global needs; enhancethe international profile of the new institution;and reduce costs.

� A taskforce established through the AWB initia-tive received a mandate to assist in establishingthe governance structures, institutional man-agement, and strategic planning for the univer-sity. For this, the taskforce spent five months in


Rwanda, reviewed extensive current documen-tation, travelled throughout the country to visitall of the existing institutions, and sought theviews of numerous stakeholders involved in theamalgamation. Key outcomes of the taskforce’sefforts were:

• Revised legislation

• Development and operationalization of anew organizational structure and site man-agement plan

• Creation of a decision matrix, which guidedthe distribution of responsibility and author-ity between the University of Rwanda andthe Rwandan government

• Definition of the senior management posi-tions and structure

• A capacity-building plan that prioritized thenew institution’s numerous physical andhuman resource needs

• A mission statement and strategic planningprocess

• Analysis and actions plan to address keyissues such as gender imbalance

• A charter of academic freedom

� The University of Rwanda case study demon-strates the connection between higher educa-tion and national development priorities in thecountry’s Vision 2020 including: good gover-nance; human resource development in aknowledge-based economy; private sector-leddevelopment; infrastructure development; pro-ductive, market-oriented agriculture; and cross-cutting issues such as gender equality, naturalresources and the environment, science, tech-nologies, and ICT.

� Investing in administrative capacities, systems andprocesses is essential for the institution to makea full contribution to students and the country,but it is often difficult to find willing investors.

� Students have an important role to play in thegovernance and administrative capacities ofuniversities. In Rwanda, the AWB project pro-moted a participatory decision-making process,with two students on the university’s smallboard of governors.

� Understanding the contextual realities of a soci-ety — for example a tradition of bureaucracyand hierarchy, fear of violating status and tradi-tions — is essential to overcome generaladministrative inertia.

PLENARY 3:

Smart Global Investments

Barbara O. SchneemanHigher Education Coordinator, United States Agencyfor International Development

Jean LebelPresident, International Development Research Centre

Jeffrey WaiteAdvisor, Education Global Practice, The World Bank

Shamsh Kassim-LakhaExecutive Chairman, Board Executive Committee,University of Central Asia

Moderator: Eva Egron-PolakSecretary General and Executive Director,International Association of Universities

Description

This concluding session sought to pull out the keylessons and insights to emerge from the conference,framed around four questions: Where have we iden-tified smart global investments in higher education?Can we begin to develop a road map for integratinghigher education more effectively into developmentpolicies, program design, and evaluation? How do wesustain the connections and dialogue initiated overthe past two days?



� A set of keywords drawn from the conversationsover the past two days might include inclusive-ness, innovation, intelligent investment, inter-connectedness, integrity, complexity, challenges,cooperation, creativity, and continuity. To thatlist, three other words were added: local, rele-vance, and access.

� Evaluation remains a challenge and requiresmore consideration. Higher education is a long-term development investment, but too often,we must report on outcomes annually, or atbest in five-year project cycles. If we becometrapped in the metric of short-term, immediateoutcomes, we lose sight of the long-termnature of this endeavour.

� The idea of universities as safe spaces for cre-ativity, debate, and intellectual engagement,proposed by Reeta Roy in the keynote conver-sation, emerged as an important touchstone forrethinking the role of the university in fosteringthe leadership required to advance develop-ment goals.

� Conversations throughout the conferencepushed us to think beyond the “brain drain” tolook at the full continuum of brain drain, circula-tion, and retention.

� To understand the significant role they play inadvancing and sustaining development, wemust recognize universities and colleges as per-manent local institutions, and as permanentlocal resources. Building strong, sustainableinstitutions is a generational endeavour and


Higher education is a long-termdevelopment investment, but toooften, wemust report on outcomesannually, or at best in five-year projectcycles. If we become trapped in themetric of short-term, immediateoutcomes, we lose sight of the long-term nature of this endeavour.

Plenary 3: Smart Global Investments.

requires expanded timelines and a shift inexpectations around demonstrating short-termresults for investments in higher education.

� The fact that development challenges are com-plex, requiring multidimensional and multidisci-plinary solutions, says a lot about how we needto organize academia.

� We need adopt a more holistic approach toeducation. Throughout the conference, primaryand secondary education were frequently pre-sented in opposition to higher education, asthough governments and international donorsmust choose between them. We must resistplacing tertiary education in competition withprimary and secondary education for resourcesand support. In reality, higher education institu-tions have an integral role to play in strengthen-ing education systems across the continuum;development strategies, programming and poli-cies should build upon that integral connection.

� The tension between quality and quantity fea-tured throughout the conference as well, partic-ularly through the lens of public and privateinstitutions.

� Higher education for refugees and communitiesin conflict-affected areas is of special urgency.This should be a priority issue building on theconference.

� We need to consider regional approaches tostrengthening higher education in the GlobalSouth to achieve economies of scale.

� When considering how Canada can supporthigher education in the Global South, weshould ensure that provincial governmentshave a voice in future discussions: in manyinstances (health, education) the provinces aremore connected to the fields that intersectwith key development challenges. Their inclu-sion would provide a means of building capaci-ties and addressing shared challenges in bothdirections.


Conference sponsors with opening keynotespeakers. From left: Khalil Z. Shariff (AKFC),Steven Davis (AWB), Eva Egron-Polak, Reeta Roy,His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston,GregMoran (conference committee chair),LeonardWantchekon, and Jean Lebel (IDRC).

� To harness fully the potential of higher educa-tion in support of sustainable global develop-ment, we must take a wider view of tertiaryeducation as a system that extends beyonduniversities. Providers of vocational, technical,and professional education — colleges, poly-technics, and similar institutions — are integralplayers in that system and in every successfuleconomy and society around the world.Higher education institutions cannot work inisolation: cooperation and coordination acrossthe spectrum is essential to provide countrieswith the skilled human resources, informedleadership, and expertise to find lasting devel-opment solutions.

• Technical education has very much been apoor cousin to universities, creating a skillsdrain on top of the brain drain. Universitiesand colleges are beginning to recognize theirresponsibility — and the opportunity — toexpand beyond degree programs. We needto encourage universities to diversify theiroffering to be responsive to social and eco-nomic contexts and to provide seamlesspaths between vocational, technical and aca-demic degree programs.

• Higher education institutions must also lookat recognizing and better leveraging priorexperience and informal avenues of learning,engaging with the private sector to helpdefine what learning outcomes should be infields integral to development.


• Given the current evaluation frameworks,what are some short-term metrics that mayhelp us better predict success over the long-

term or let us know whether we are on theright path? For example, in health care, wetalk about validated surrogate endpoints.How do we also predict or assess broaderimpacts of higher education investments?

• A key next step is to tackle the issue of highereducation reform in many contexts in theGlobal South. This topic alone merits a sepa-rate conference.

• In the Canadian context, could a RoyalCommission on Higher Education move thisagenda forward?

• Funding mechanisms for higher educationreceived comparatively little attention duringthe conference. From block grants to per-student-capita funding to pro-equity topups: what are the appropriate mechanisms tosupport the various types of investmentsrequired for strong, vibrant and relevanthigher education institutions in the GlobalSouth? Can more flexible, regionally focusedgrants help create economies of scale andencourage cross-border cooperation?

• Gender in higher education requires attentionon many levels, not the least due to a higherfemale-to-male ratio of enrollment in highereducation institutions in many contexts. Howdo we ensure the continuity of gender main-streaming inside the ongoing dialogue onhigher education and development?

How dowe ensure the continuityof gendermainstreaming insidethe ongoing dialogue on highereducation and development?


In Conclusion

Continuing the Smart GlobalDevelopment Conversation

Throughout the deliberations, participants laudedthe conference for providing a space to initiate theexchange of experiences on the role of highereducation. They emphasized, however, the need forsustained engagement on this issue with key stake-holders: government, academic, private sector,community, and youth leaders in the Global South,as well as with their counterparts in higher incomecountries.

The following sets of questions, drawn from the pre-sentations and audience responses, offer a frame-work for continuing that conversation:

� How can universities and colleges in the GlobalSouth engage more directly in the social andeconomic development of the communities inwhich they are situated? What additional capac-ity might be necessary for them to do so? Howdo we strengthen the social accountability ofthese institutions to their communities?

� How can we enhance the role of higher educa-tion institutions as innovation hubs in theGlobal South to advance and sustain develop-ment goals?

� How can higher education institutions moreeffectively and deliberately advance women’sempowerment and gender equality — and breakdown the gendered barriers to participation?

� What can higher education institutions do toprovide refugees and youth in conflict-affectedor fragile areas with post-secondary learningand vocational opportunities?

� How should higher education institutions defineand ensure quality, particularly in view of thetensions between quality and access or scale?

� What methodologies, tools or approaches couldstrengthen monitoring, evaluation, and learningaround the development results of investmentsin higher education?

� How can institutions in the Global Southstrengthen access to relevant, high qualityvocational, technical and professional educa-tion? How might they harness the global expe-rience and expertise of colleges and polytech-nic institutes to build capacities and implementprograms?

2�SMART GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT

What can higher education institutionsdo to provide refugees and youth inconflict-affected or fragile areaswith post-secondary learning andvocational opportunities?

� What is the case for investing in private highereducation institutions in the Global South? Howcan private institutions help strengthen educa-tional quality, relevance, and capacities withinpublic institutions?

� What kinds of support and resources do highereducation institutions in the Global Southrequire to contribute more directly to improve-ments in primary and secondary education sys-tems in their operating contexts? What types offunding mechanisms would help strengthenthe education continuum?

� What types of public policies or reforms wouldcreate a more enabling environment for innova-tion, quality, and relevance within higher educa-tion institutions in the Global South?

� What are the appropriate funding mechanismsto support the various types of investmentsrequired for strong, vibrant and relevant highereducation institutions in the Global South?Could more flexible, regionally focused grantshelp create economies of scale and encouragecross-border cooperation?

Such investments in the higher education spacerequire patience: they are generational endeavours.At the same time, the fragilities we encounter acrossthe globe today are so severe that we urgentlyrequire vibrant institutions of higher education toanchor progress and serve as bulwarks against insta-bility. While these concluding questions offer a roadmap for continued engagement, we must continueto make very thoughtful and smart investments inhigher education to advance sustainable globaldevelopment.


Higher education is an investmentin the future, in creating theexpertise, resources, and leadershipall societies require to achieveand sustain theGlobal Goals.

Global YouthVoicesPrior to the launch of the conference, the organizers put out a call to young scholars and recent graduatesin the Global South and North to contribute their thoughts on three questions that frame the issues of highereducation and development from the perspective of emerging leaders.

Their responses were featured throughout the conference — a reminder to delegates of both the significanceof the deliberations at hand and the wealth of leadership the next generation already possesses to addresstoday’s critical global challenges.


University should transition away from its classic theoretical approach where‘diplomas’ are more important than training that aims to develop practical skills.

Armanda Kouassi | Ivory CoastMasterCard Foundation Scholar, University of California at Berkeley

I would adapt the curriculum to include Global South perspectives in the introductorycourses to encourage young people to thinkmore critically about their country’srelationship with Global South states.

Heather McAlister | CanadaMaster’s student, University of Toronto

What is neededmost is practical training that combines knowledge and skillsto better prepare youth for the workplace as well as infrastructure ableto accommodate the growing number of students that can take advantageof new communication and information technologies.

Mariama Mary Fall | CanadaPhD student, University of Ottawa

I would give the university, as an institution, back to the students. The studentsneed to be the ones creating these environments, with guidance fromthe university officials.

Mike Muponda | ZimbabweMasterCard Foundation Scholar, University of West Virginia

Howwould you change universities in your country?

Following the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission,I would have an indigenous studies course as a degree requirement and includeindigenous scholarship in every course. These are important steps towardsdecolonizing Canadian post-secondary education.

Katherine MacGregor | CanadaUndergraduate student, University of Toronto


My dream job is to become a professor in a university. My university educationis providingmewith teaching and research opportunities so I can become betterequipped to train andmentor other globally minded social workers.

Brianna Strumm | CanadaPhD student, Carleton University

I wouldmodify most of the programs offered to bemore focused on business,technology, creativity, and innovation.

Nonduduzo Ndlovu | SwazilandMasterCard Foundation Scholar, University of Pretoria

When pursuing a life and career it is important to consider the individualoptimum vs. the social optimum, balancing the progression of the worldwith your own individual happiness.

Rehman Shivji | CanadaUndergraduate student, Queen’s University

In Afghanistan, all universities should be co-educational. They needmoresophisticated facilities. Teacher exchange programs would enhance the qualityof instruction, and organized co-curricular programs would be beneficial.

Roya Shams | AfghanistanUndergraduate student, University of Ottawa

My dream is to work with passionate Africans whowant tomake a positive change.I want the organization to have faith in the youth, to challenge and to empower usto tackle problems – consequently, this will create robust future leaders.

Sidee Dlamini | SwazilandMasterCard Foundation Scholar, University of California at Berkeley

Qualified human resources and thementality of my countrymen, especially youth.To be present at the concert of nations, some habits should change. Introspectionof the system is needed to define participatory progressive approaches.

Moussa Thiam | MaliPhD Student, University of Ottawa

Whatare the challenges facingyouth today?

Has your university equipped you for your dream job?

“Progress in the developing world cannot be sustainedwithout a vibrant constellation of universities, colleges,and research institutes to anchor local knowledge andinnovation. Higher education institutions — in Africa,Asia, and Canada — have played a key role in thedecades-long collaboration between Canada and theAga Khan Development Network to improve lives in thedeveloping world. We are coming together for the SmartGlobal Development conference out of a shared con-viction that investments in higher education will under-write long-term improvements in quality of life.”

— Khalil Z. Shariff, Chief Executive Officer,Aga Khan Foundation Canada

Established in 1980, AKFC is a registered Canadiancharity and an agency of the worldwide Aga KhanDevelopment Network, a family of developmentagencies with individual mandates that addresssocial, economic, and cultural dimensions of devel-opment. Active in 30 countries, these agencies shareamission to improve living conditions and opportu-nities for the poor, without regard to their faith, ori-gin or gender. The AKDN includes two universities:Aga Khan University and the University of CentralAsia. For more information visit www.akfc.ca andwww.akdn.org.

“Many low- and middle-income developing countriesdo not have the experts and professionals needed toprovide basic services for their citizens, grow theireconomies, and do the research necessary for sustain-able development. To avoid the brain drain, which oftenhappens when students leave their home country tostudy in the developed world, these countries urgentlyneed to provide high-quality tertiary education within

their own borders. Their universities must be able to cre-ate the experts they need by giving their students bothknowledge that is relevant to local conditions and theskills necessary to solve problems unique to their socio-economic circumstances. For several years, AcademicsWithout Borders has been working on projects initiatedby universities in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asiato help them improve their universities’ teaching,research, and back-office operations. The Smart GlobalDevelopment Conference provides an opportunity todemonstrate how good universities can play a vitallyimportant role in improving the lives of developingcountries’ citizens.”

— Steven Davis, Executive Director,Academics Without Borders

Academics Without Borders’ mission is to supportdeveloping countries in building capacity in highereducation so that they can educate their own expertsand conduct research to assist in their development.We fulfill our mission by sending professional andacademic volunteers on projects that originate fromand are owned by our partners in the developingworld. Our volunteers work on projects that foster theteaching skills and research expertise needed forhealth care, education, agriculture, infrastructure,business, and more. We work in all disciplines andareas of instruction as well as helping to upgrade auniversity’s administration and services. We are abilingual Canadian NGO based in Montreal, with ourvolunteers working around theworld. Formore infor-mation, visit www.awb-usf.org.

“The International Development Research Centre haslong recognized the immense potential of higher edu-cation institutions as drivers of social and economicdevelopment, repositories of cultural heritage, researchcentres for expanding human knowledge and hubs thatspark innovation. We are committed to supporting


About the Conference Sponsors

www.akfc.ca

www.akdn.org

access to higher education and to findingmore effectiveways for its integration into development policy, devel-opment assistance, program design, and evaluation.This Smart Global Development Conference is a pow-erful acknowledgement of the promise of higher edu-cation in the developingworld to forge innovation andresolve challenges.”

— Jean Lebel, President,International Development Research Centre

The International Development Research Centreinvests in knowledge, innovation, and solutions toimprove lives and livelihoods in the developingworld. Bringing together the right partners aroundopportunities for impact, IDRC builds leaders fortoday and tomorrow and helps drive large-scale pos-itive change. IDRC was established by an act ofCanada’s parliament in 1970 to help developingcountries find solutions to their challenges. The Inter-national Development Research Centre Act describesthe Centre’s mandate:“to initiate, encourage, support,and conduct research into the problems of the devel-oping regions of the world and into the means forapplying and adapting scientific, technical, and otherknowledge to the economic and social advance-ment of those regions.” For more information, visitwww.idrc.ca.

AcknowledgementsThis conference was undertaken with the financialsupport of the Government of Canada throughGlobal Affairs Canada.

Conference Executive Committee

The Smart Global Development conference execu-tive committee combined expertise from thethree institutional organizers and sponsors: MariaBrunelli, Steven Davis, Carrie LaPorte, Shabana Manji,Tavinder Nijhawan, Jennifer Pepall, and Corrie Young.This committee was chaired by Greg Moran, Directorof Special Projects, Higher Education Quality Councilof Ontario.

Conference Rapporteurs

Eight young scholars responded to a call for rappor-teurs to help document the insights and lessons toemerge from the conference sessions, as well as toserve as active participants in the conference. Theirwork contributed to the development of this report.The conference executive committee acknowledgestheir contributions: Gissou Ataee; Jean-MarieCishahayo; Alyshea Cummins; Jennifer Fieldhouse;Jose Miguel Lopez; Stephanie Melliet; Amar Nijhawan;and Mariya Podeyko.


www.idrc.ca

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