Month: February 2022

The Futures of Higher Education: International UNESCO Chairs Forum

The Futures of Higher Education: International UNESCO Chairs Forum

Jointly organised by Italy and UNESCO at Expo 2020 Dubai, the International UNESCO Chairs Forum on the Futures of Higher Education was held on 24 January 2022, to mark the International Day of Education 2022.

This Forum is part of the overall framework of UNESCO’s Future of Education initiative which aims to generate an agenda for global debate, research and action on the futures of education, learning and knowledge in an increasingly complex, uncertain and precarious world. It is also one of the preparatory events for the 3rd UNESCO World Higher Education Conference (WHEC2022) which will be held from 18 to 20 May 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. WHEC2022 and its preparatory events aim to define and prepare participatory knowledge-based scenarios for shaping a new era of higher education systems and institutions, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 disruption.

The International UNESCO Chairs Forum provides a platform to make use of the collective interdisciplinary intelligence on the futures of higher education systems, focusing on skills development in the context of the uncertain futures of work, as well as on the digital transformation of our societies and its implications for higher education.

After a high-level introductory, two experts panels focused on: (1) Skills for Work and Life, and (2) Digitisation and Connectivity. Finally, the Declaration of the Italian UNESCO Chairs for Sustainability was presented.

Video recording of the event:

Posted by Didier in News
Noncommunicable diseases in 53 countries: WHO/Europe presents new visual data tool

Noncommunicable diseases in 53 countries: WHO/Europe presents new visual data tool

WHO/Europe has introduced a new data visualization tool that makes it easy to see key data on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Europe, the policies in place to address them and progress towards the NCD targets.

The data are presented interactively in easy-to-understand graphs that provide an overview and trends in each of the 53 Member States in the WHO European Region. Highlighting the complex and changing nature of NCDs, this new data visualization dashboard is a useful tool for policy-makers, researchers and the general public.

A comprehensive dashboard integrating risk factors and monitoring indicators

The dashboard consists of seven graphics which include the latest WHO data available from each of the 53 countries of the WHO European Region. The graphics show four major groups of indicators

  • premature mortality (due to the four major NCDs and the main group of NCDs in a given country);
  • biological risk factors (prevalence of overweight/obesity and raised blood pressure);
  • behavioural risk factors (smoking and alcohol consumption levels);
  • progress monitoring indicators (implementation of WHO-recommended measures to tackle NCDs).

Different trends for different countries

NCDs are by far the leading cause of death in the WHO European Region. Together, the four major NCDs (cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease) account for almost 75% of deaths in the Region.

However, the data show that the major trends differ between countries and regions. For example, cardiovascular disease rates are high but decreasing in eastern Europe or central Asia, while in western Europe, cancer is becoming the leading cause of premature death.

For more information

WHO/Europe NCD dashboard

Posted by Didier in News