“Changing Course, Transforming Education”

Education is a human right, a public good and a public responsibility.

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 24 January as International Day of Education, in celebration of the role of education for peace and development.

“In  these  exceptional  times,  business  as  usual  is  no  longer  an  option.  If  we  are  to  transform the future, if we are to change course, we must rethink education.  This means forging a new social contract for education, as called for by the UNESCO report  on  the  Futures  of  Education,  released  last  November.  We  need  to  repair  past  injustices and orient the digital transformation around inclusion and equity. And we need education  to  fully  contribute  to  sustainable  development  –  for  instance,  by integrating environmental education in all curricula and by training teachers in this field.” – Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director General, on the occasion of International Day of Education 2021.

Without inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities for all, countries will not succeed in achieving gender equality and breaking the cycle of poverty that is leaving millions of children, youth and adults behind.

From the Inter-American Organization for Higher Education (IOHE) we propose the Virtual Mobility Space in Higher Education (eMOVIES)  as an initiative that is governed by the principles of collaboration and reciprocity and that does not imply any cost for the student who applies to the exchange.

This consortium of Higher Education Institutions that are members of IOHE, offers the participating higher education institutions (HEIs) an alternative vision to the traditional mobility models for the promotion of academic exchange in higher education, allowing students the opportunity to study subjects in virtual or distance mode offered by other member institutions of IOHE.