UNESCO Conference on Building bridges between education and work from 21st to 23rd Oct 2010 in Bangkok

Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand, 21-23 October 2010

“If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.” -- Chinese proverb

Bangkok, 19 October 2010 – About 250 participants from 30 countries in Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Africa and North America will attend the 14^thUNESCO-APEID International Conference under the theme: Education for Human Resource Development.

The three-day event at the Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel, Bangkok will be opened by the Prime Minister of Thailand, H.E. Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva, who will deliver a keynote speech during the opening ceremony on 21 October 2010, from 8.00-9.00am.

Participants will include government officials, policy makers, teachers, trainers, academicians, researchers and representatives from the private sector and youth groups.

The conference is an annual UNESCO event and provides a forum for participants to discuss topical education issues. This year, the conference focuses onEducation for Human Resource Development, a theme that is particularly pertinent in view of the 2008 global financial crisis that adversely affected many countries.

Guest speakers and those giving formal presentations will discuss how education and human resource development, as powerful drivers of socio-economic development, will help to eliminate poverty; provide basic services to society; and increase the quality of life for all.

They will share their thoughts on the demands of the 21^st Century on education and vocational training systems to highlight the changes and uncertainties in the workplace; shrinking employment markets and their implications on education; and training and skills development.

It is envisaged that participants will learn about how they can play a part in increasing access to, as well as improving the quality of, education and training from showcases of innovative projects.

As part of the conference, a Youth Forum on Creative Partnerships for Human Development will be held on 23 October, giving young people an opportunity to be part of the dialogue that will affect their future and the future of our world.

Open to participants of all ages, the Youth Forum will introduce projects on volunteerism and social entrepreneurship, including an “Everyone can Make a Difference” workshop, and a lifestyle social networking website to connect, inspire and empower young people.

In addition, a ministerial round-table meeting will be convened to facilitate ministers of education and high-level officials from the region to share thoughts and experiences of burning educational issues and human resource development in their respective countries.

Through examples of good practices and lessons learned, these leaders will be better informed about how they can formulate appropriate education and human resource policies to benefit their compatriots.

The 14^th UNESCO-APEID International Conference is jointly organized by UNESCO, the National Commission of Thailand for UNESCO, the Global Human Resource Forum in South Korea, the World Bank, SEAMEO RIHED, and the Thai-European Business Association.

For the full programme and more information, access: www.unescobkk.org/education/apeid/conference2010.