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The United Nations Higher Education Sustainability Initiative, HESI initiated a Global Forum-2024 on “The Future of Higher Education for Sustainable Development”. This annual HESI event was held in New York in mid-July as a special conference devoted to coming this fall the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, the UN’s main platform for reviewing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Background
Advances in machine learning, ML and artificial intelligence, AI present an opportunity for modern states to build better tools and solutions to help address some of the world’s most pressing challenges, and deliver positive social impact in accordance with the priorities outlined in the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs.
However, it has been apparent that the global community is widely divided about the AI’s role in socio-economic development, including the SDGs implementation. However positive are the AI’s use for education providers, e.g. in personalized tutoring for students, progressive syllabus for “green jobs” and corresponding case studies, etc. some experts mention “concern that such services will focus on students speaking one of the world’s major languages such as Chinese, English, Spanish, Hindi and Arabic”. For example, HESI Action Group on the Future of Higher Education and Artificial Intelligence is aimed at driving “ethical and effective digital transformation at higher education in making efforts towards a sustainable future for all.”
Reference to: https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20240716140907818&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=GLNL0795
Global initiatives
The UN department of global communications acknowledged nethertheless that the generative AI was “transforming the world and that the potentials are immense.” Thus, the September -2024 United Nations Summit to discuss “the pact for the Future” included an issue on an “inclusive open secure digital future for all”. But equitable and inclusive access to AI with a concern for using “human-AI and Gen AI” has to be subject to fundamental regulation based on assessing incurred risks before AI and GPTs are publicly released.
Thus, the UN Global Digital Compact policy will help the world states to invest in AI research and prioritise responsible regulation, as well as highlighting strengthen the United Nations Academic Impact, UNAI aimed at ensuring that AI technologies were promoting social good (so-called AI4SG), including studies examining AI ethics and the relationship between AI and the SDGs.
See more on UNAI in: https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:aba7a01e-835c-43eb-883f-81b9a07fee2b
Other initiatives include the launch by UNESCO’s International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean, IESALC as well as the SET4HEI as the sustainability evaluation tool for higher education institutions as a free, online and open resource to map higher education current and potential future contributions to achieving the SDGs.
More on ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence in higher education (quick start guide) in:
https://www.iesalc.unesco.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/ChatGPT-and-Artificial-Intelligence-in-higher-education-Quick-Start-guide_EN_FINAL.pdf
Our comment
We would recommend for global education providers a recently published book which touches upon a “new reality” in national educational policies reforms (as well as universities and high schools) concerning optimal strategic directions for education and training. The book includes a particular emphasis on the European political guidelines which encompass lifelong learning across all levels, and reveals the necessity of providing modern skills in dealing with the SDGs.
Of course, the discussion of “reforming educational process” is vital for a robust national response, alongside emphasizes on social responsibility inherent in educational policy. Hence, the book includes solid guidelines for reforms to enhance teaching pedagogical skills coped with socially valuable and responsible knowledge.
It further identifies how strategic focus on education and training holds the potential to enrich innovation, competitiveness, employability, and productivity.
Source: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-59013-9#about-this-book