A high-level meeting focused on the recovery of higher education in areas affected by the recent earthquakes was held in 15 July at UNESCO IESALC headquarters, as part of UNESCO’s special mission in Venezuela to coordinate cooperation mechanisms in education, culture, science, and communication.
The mission was led by Anne Lemaistre, Director of UNESCO’s Regional Office in Havana, with the support of Henry Renna Gallano, Head of the Education Unit of that office, and the UNESCO IESALC. Participants included Alejandro López, Vice Minister of Education; William Gil, Vice Minister of Facilities and Logistics of the Ministry of Popular Power for Education; and Ernesto Villegas, Venezuela’s Ambassador to UNESCO, together with specialists and representatives from educational institutions and staff from the United Nations System.
During the meeting, the UNESCO IESALC team presented a package of technical support aimed at assessing the impact of the emergency on universities and higher education institutions, as well as designing strategies to ensure the continuity of teaching, research, and academic management.
Roadmap for Educational Continuity
The meeting provided an opportunity to review progress made by national authorities in damage assessment and educational recovery, as well as to identify priority areas for cooperation to ensure the gradual restoration of affected educational institutions. The assessment will be conducted with the collaboration of the engineering and disaster management firm Miyamoto International.
One of the key issues discussed was the need to consolidate and harmonize available information regarding damage to educational infrastructure in order to develop a shared assessment that would facilitate the planning of recovery actions. Participants also examined mechanisms to strengthen information systems, improve interoperability among assessment platforms, and promote evidence-based decision-making.
UNESCO shared rapid visual damage assessment methodologies and recommendations for planning interventions in educational institutions, with particular attention to those serving the largest numbers of students and requiring immediate measures to guarantee the continuity of academic activities.
Participants agreed on the importance of advancing a comprehensive strategy that combines the rehabilitation of educational facilities, the strengthening of institutional capacities, and the implementation of mechanisms to sustain teaching and learning processes throughout the recovery phase.
To support these efforts, UNESCO IESALC made available to the education sector the Campus IESALC, an online learning platform that will contribute to strengthening institutional capacities for educational recovery and preparedness for future emergencies. This initiative aims to enhance the resilience of higher education institutions and promote more effective responses to crisis situations, benefiting students, faculty, and administrative staff.
read more: https://www.iesalc.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-and-venezuelan-authorities-advance-priorities-higher-education-recovery-following-emergency
