Address by Mr Koichiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, on the occasion of the special lecture on “New dynamics in higher education: promoting science, research and innovation for sustainable development”

Ambassador Kesavapany, Director of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies,

Professor Leo Tan, Chair of the science sub-commission of the Singapore National Commission for UNESCO,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great honour for me to join you today, and to address such a distinguished audience.

Let me begin by thanking the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr George Yeo, and the Minister of Education, Dr Ng Eng Hen, for inviting me to Singapore under the United Nations Distinguished Visitors Programme.

This is my first visit to the country as UNESCO Director-General, following Singapore’s return to the Organization in October last year. However, in my former role with the Japanese Government, I had the pleasure to visit Singapore on many occasions, the first time in 1968, shortly after independence.

Over the past forty years, I have watched the country’s transformation from an underdeveloped economy into a global high-tech leader. It was therefore for me a source of great pleasure and pride to see Singapore’s flag once again raised last year alongside those of UNESCO’s other 192 Member States. I wish to pay to tribute to all who worked towards this important achievement. Every new accession reinforces the bonds of multilateralism, opening the way for a more effective international response to the complex challenges of our time.

First among these challenges – and pivotal to our success in tackling other global issues – is promoting quality education for all. UNESCO gives top priority to education as both a human right and a development imperative. We believe that investing in education today is one of the surest ways of achieving a more sustainable, inclusive and prosperous future tomorrow.

I would therefore like to thank the organizers of today’s event, and in particular the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies and the Singapore National Commission for UNESCO, for providing this opportunity to discuss one of the most rapidly changing fields within the global learning landscape. I refer to higher education – the dynamics, the prospects, and also the challenges that lie ahead.

There is little need in front of this audience to reiterate that we live in knowledge-driven societies, where an increasingly high premium is placed on higher education.

We are in a country that values learning and skilled human capital as the most precious resource. With a high-tech, knowledge-intensive economy, Singapore knows that continued growth depends on a vibrant higher education system that fosters innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship.

The same is true for South East Asia more broadly. The region’s success in expanding learning opportunities at all levels is a key factor behind what has been one of the fastest economic growth rates in the world. Sustaining this expansion, by improving quality and enhancing access to higher education and research, will be vital to maintaining regional dynamism.

At a time of global financial crisis, when the budgets of governments, families and students come under increasing pressure, this is a message that must be underscored. Knowledge and skills are the basic foundations for development. There would be nothing more dangerous to a country’s long-term social and economic health than to cut investment in learning and education.

Getting the policies for higher education right, therefore, is of the utmost importance. This is all the more true at the present juncture in history, when the sector is undergoing unprecedented transformation.

As the principal agency responsible for higher education within the UN system, UNESCO has long been at the forefront of efforts to better understand and manage these dynamics.

Next July in Paris, we will host the second World Conference on Higher Education with a view to tackling the key policy challenges facing the sector. As part of preparations for this event, UNESCO convened a conference in Macao, China, in September to look at how global dynamics are affecting countries in East Asia, South-East Asia and the Pacific. Let me highlight four of the defining trends for the region.

The first trend is the massification of higher education, although serious inequalities in access still persist between and within countries.

Worldwide, enrolment in higher education has jumped by 50 per cent since 1999. This growth is particularly pronounced in South East Asia, where progress in expanding access at lower levels of the education system coupled with sustained economic growth have led to rising demand for postsecondary learning opportunities.

Ten years ago, higher education was out of reach for the majority of people in most South-East Asian countries. Today, several nations have achieved enrolment rates of more than 15 percent, crossing the threshold into mass higher education. This is the case for Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. Currently in Singapore, around 25 percent of the relevant age group is enrolled in undergraduate studies, up from 20 percent in 2000 and just 5 percent in 1980. The government has set the bold target of reaching 30 percent by 2015.

This represents a real expansion of opportunity for millions of learners. However, we must not forget that there remain profound disparities within the region. While participation rates have more than tripled since 2000 in the People’s Democratic Republic of Lao, enrolment still stands at below 10 percent. In Cambodia, it is as low as 5 percent.

Within countries, too, there are deep inequalities, with rates of access much higher among wealthier urban populations. The result is to reinforce existing inequities, with the poorest least likely to acquire the necessary skills to access better-paid jobs and seize the opportunities of a global knowledge economy.

It is clear that prosperous and cohesive societies cannot be built on such unequal foundations. Governments must do more – much more – to promote equity in access and overcome the barriers that prevent the poor and other marginalized groups, such as ethnic minorities and remote rural populations, from enjoying the benefits of higher education.

The second trend is the dramatic increase in student mobility. Globally, 2.8 million students went abroad in 2006, and this number is expected to triple by 2025. In South East Asia, around 162,000 students crossed the border to study in 2006. Students from Malaysia were the most mobile, representing around one quarter of all students studying abroad. Four countries – Indonesia, Thailand, Viet Nam and Singapore – accounted for most of the rest.

The most popular destination for students from South East Asia is Australia, followed by the United States and the United Kingdom. Students are also moving increasingly within the region. Malaysia received about 9,000 foreign students in 2006, of which more than two thirds came from Indonesia. Singapore is also a popular destination for students from other South East Asian countries, and beyond – notably India and China. The Government has set the ambitious target of 20 percent foreign undergraduate enrolment in local universities, with a view to transforming Singapore into an educational hub for the region.

Such increased mobility brings many positive benefits to students and countries alike. It is a force for peace, fostering an appreciation of foreign cultures and a respect for diversity. The growth of student mobility within South East Asia gives impetus to greater regional integration, strengthening international solidarity and cooperation. For recipient countries, the inflow of foreign students is also a valuable source of revenue and talent.

However, mobility brings negative consequences too. Many students studying abroad do not return to their home countries. This brain drain can have a devastating impact on local economies. Finding ways to attract the return of nationals is a major policy concern for all governments.

Another problem is that many students living abroad have difficulties finding work at the level for which they are qualified. Previous academic or professional qualifications are often not appropriately recognized for further study or employment in receiving countries. According to a recent OECD study, on average 50 percent of skilled immigrants are not employed at their level of qualification.

The recognition of qualifications is a key issue in the increasingly global world of higher education, as is the need for quality assurance.

UNESCO has taken a series of initiatives to support stakeholders in this area. With the OECD, we have developed guidelines for quality provision in cross-boarder higher education. We have created a global forum for policy debate on issues related to international quality assurance, accreditation and the recognition of qualifications. We have also established six regional conventions on the recognition of qualifications that have been ratified by over 100 Member States. Together, these conventions form a unique legal framework that facilitates international cooperation and mobility, while creating transparent arrangements for quality assurance.

The 1983 Asia-Pacific convention has been ratified by twenty-one countries. As for other regions, efforts are underway to revise and update the text, notably to take into account recent regional initiatives to promote mobility and raise quality. These include the Brisbane communiqué initiative launched in 2006, as well as the drive by members of ASEAN and SEAMEO to create a common South-East Asian space for higher education, much in line with the Bologna Process in Europe. Our hope is that UNESCO’s General Conference next year will authorize the convening of a Ministerial meeting to adopt the revised convention. I would encourage those Member States that have not joined the 1983 convention – including Singapore – to consider ratifying the updated text.

The third trend is the diversification of higher education, in terms of both funding and type of providers.

National governments have the primary responsibility for education and training. Yet government action alone cannot expand access and satisfy rising demand. Indeed, with government budgets for higher education declining steadily on a per capita basis, the effective mobilization of other funding sources and providers has become crucial.

Private higher education is the fastest growing part of the sector worldwide, and has been vital to meeting rising demand. Here in South East Asia, private higher education has traditionally played a significant role, especially in Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. In recent years, this trend has extended to other countries, such as Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore and Viet Nam. Other funding mechanisms that governments in the region are exploring include corporatization, cost-sharing, fee schemes and community-funded colleges.

New types of providers, both public and private, are also emerging. Open and regional universities, distance education and E-learning are all growing fast, driven by the ICT revolution. These alternative providers can offer a cost effective means of delivery. They are helping to make higher education more accessible, in particular to working adults and those in remote rural areas. The introduction of two large open universities in Thailand in the late 1970s, for example, enabled a rapid and massive increase in enrolment, from around 10 percent in 1979 to 20 percent in 1985 – and up to over 40 percent today.

These new providers also provide a means to mitigate the negative effects of brain drain, with new communication technologies enabling students to access foreign programmes from home. In addition, an increasing number of foreign universities are setting up branch campuses in the region. Today, more Singaporean undergraduate students access foreign programmes in Singapore than study abroad. New providers are crucial to meeting the growing demand for higher education. However, they also create new challenges, especially in terms of quality assurance and equity.

Here I come to my fourth and final point, which is the changing role of governments in higher education.

The growing diversity of higher education providers brings with it an increasing need for mechanisms to guarantee standards and safeguard against discrimination. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, whose 60th anniversary we celebrate this year, establishes that “higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit”. Governments have a duty to protect and promote this right. Diversity, flexibility and autonomy are the hallmarks of a strong higher education system, but they must be matched by increased accountability. Governments may be less involved in the direct provision of higher education, but they have an increasing responsibility to create an enabling environment that encourages efficiency and excellence and promotes social inclusion and responsibility.

One growing concern is to tackle the proliferation of degree mills and bogus institutions, which threaten to undermine the integrity and quality of national tertiary systems.

UNESCO has set up an information portal on higher education institutions to help protect students from misleading information and rogue providers. The portal is currently in a pilot phase and covers some 15 countries. From South East Asia, Malaysia is already participating in the project, with other countries, such as Indonesia, soon to be included. I strongly encourage more nations to take part.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The face of higher education is changing rapidly. I would like to look in this second part of my address at how well adapted this emerging new system is to meeting national needs. I have been asked to focus in particular on capacity for science, technology and research. When we say that we live in increasingly knowledge-driven societies, what we are talking about first and foremost is science-based knowledge. It is science and technology that propel economic growth, and hold the key to meeting the most pressing global challenges, from eradicating poverty, ending extreme hunger and halting the spread of infectious diseases, to addressing the growing energy crisis, tackling climate change, and achieving more sustainable development.

How well equipped are the higher education and research systems in South East Asia for responding to these issues?

Against the background of the trends I just outlined, let me signal some of the key challenges going forward.

The first is to increase national financing for science and research. In most countries, research and development (R&D) suffer drastic underfunding. The OECD recommends that 3 percent of GDP, comprising both government and private sector investment, be spent on R&D. The average spending in South East Asia is less that 0.5 per cent. Singapore invests the highest share – channelling 2.4 percent of GDP to R&D in 2006, and targeting 3 percent by 2010. Indonesia has one of the lowest rates of investment – just 0.05 percent in 2006.

The second challenge is to create a nexus of innovation that links universities with companies and government bodies. This is essential for translating cutting edge basic research into useful products that meet market demands and benefit society.

One solution, which has been successful in several South East Asian countries, is to create intermediary research institutions where university professors can work part time on applied problems. UNESCO can provide assistance to Member States in strengthening such links. We are already working with governments to set up science parks that bring universities and industry together. In collaboration with regional partners, UNESCO also plans to broadcast an e-learning course on capacity-building in university-industry partnerships to help facilitate technology transfer and management.

The third issue regards the urgent need to attract more young people to the sciences. While student enrolments are increasing overall, the proportion of those pursuing studies in the sciences and engineering is falling. Quality comparable data on this is lacking – and UNESCO is eager to work with South East Asian governments to create a more accurate picture of student intakes and other R&D indicators. However, the general trend of declining enrolment in the sciences is clear – and a source of real concern for governments and industry alike.

A first step to revitalizing interest is by strengthening science education in schools. For this reason, UNESCO is collaborating with governments in South East Asia to create a flagship programme that makes science courses more hands on and fun. One aspect of this is to organize international science camps for secondary level students. Following the success of the first camp in Brunei Darussalam in 2006, a second gathering will be held in Cambodia in spring next year.

The fourth issue is the importance of targeted measures to attract more women to science. Rising female participation has been a major factor in the overall increase in enrolment in the region, with women now outnumbering men in higher education in many countries. However, when it comes to enrolment by field of study, women are systematically underrepresented in science and engineering – with two notable exceptions: Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam.

Low enrolment rates in science at the undergraduate level carry through to deep disparities in doctoral studies, research and the number of women reaching top decision-making positions.

This trend must be addressed both for the sake of gender equality and for the sake of science. That is why I warmly welcome the launch today of the UNESCO- L’Oréal Singapore for Women in Science National Fellowships. This initiative builds on the longstanding partnership between UNESCO and L’Oréal to promote women in science through the award of prizes and fellowships.

The challenge, however, is not only to attract more students, in particular female students, to the sciences. It is also to retain them. This is my fifth message. The issue of brain drain is a particular problem in the sciences. Overcoming it will require a significant investment in standards and infrastructure and a rise in scientists’ salaries and prestige. Research facilities are still weak in many countries, and budgets are low, with poor pay providing weak incentives for graduates to stay on to pursue research.

E-learning has the potential to boost quality, and reduce the isolation felt by many scientists, in particular by enhancing cooperation between institutions.

In Indonesia, UNESCO is running a very successful initiative to network higher education and research bodies. We hope to expand this programme to other countries.

The creation of regional centres of excellence, and the fostering of stronger collaboration between scientists within South East Asia, can also help to nurture and retain local expertise.

This leads to my sixth and final point, which is the importance of regional and international cooperation.

Last December, ASEAN Member States adopted an action plan to boost science and technology in line with the Vision 2020 of a peaceful, prosperous and dynamic ASEAN community of nations.

UNESCO is fully committed to supporting this effort, and is already providing assistance in a number of fields.

Within the context of the Asia Pacific Water Forum, UNESCO’s Institute for Water Education in Delft, The Netherlands, is working with the Public Utilities Board of Singapore and the Asian Development Bank to establish a network of regional water knowledge hubs. The aim is to share knowledge and champion solutions to regional water security issues.

UNESCO’s other specialized science institute – the International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy – organizes regular workshops among experts from the region to reinforce cooperation and strengthen capacity in the fundamental sciences. ICTP is also leading a major project to expand access to current scientific literature free of cost. Over 300 scientists from South East Asia have subscribed to the eJournals service.

UNESCO’s Member States have also established a growing network of centres under the Organization’s auspices with a view to strengthening international collaboration in key areas, such as freshwater management. Let me draw special attention to the recently established International Centre for South-South Cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation in Kuala Lumpur, which will provide valuable support to networking efforts, both within South East Asia and beyond.

Another way in which UNESCO supports international cooperation is by providing fora where experts and decision-makers can come together to address common challenges.

Earlier this week, I opened a meeting in Japan focused on ways of tailoring education systems in Asia and the Pacific to promote more equitable and sustainable patterns of development. Next March in Germany, UNESCO will convene an international conference to further this agenda globally.

In addition, every two years since 1999, UNESCO, ICSU and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences have organized the World Science Forum. This serves as a unique platform for fostering collaboration among stakeholders in science and forging a common approach to global issues. The fourth such forum will take place next November in Budapest on the theme “knowledge and the future”.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Higher education can be a catalyst for development –promoting economic growth, encouraging democracy, and helping to find solutions to the complex challenges that threaten our global world.

This region has seen spectacular economic expansion, but remains home to deep inequalities. The benefits of education and research are still not reaching large segments of the population, who are deprived of such basics as good nutrition, access to safe water, sanitation and shelter. If progress is to be made towards these and other development goals, then research and innovation need to be better targeted to social needs and development-related problem solving.

What this means for systems of higher education is manifold. It calls for greater interdisciplinarity to encourage the joined-up thinking needed to address global challenges. It also demands greater emphasis on the values of responsible citizenship and respect for human dignity and fundamental rights. The ethical responsibility of science in particular should be brought to the fore, especially with the emergence of new research areas – such as biotechnology, which is increasingly strong here in South East Asia. We must ensure that innovation is in the service – not at the expense – of human wellbeing.

The trends transforming higher education create many challenges, but also real opportunities for forging societies that are more inclusive, sustainable and prosperous for all. I look forward to hearing your views on how, together, we can advance in this direction.

Thank you very much.