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PRESS RELEASE BY THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION: MINISTER BENGU TO LEAD DELEGATION TO WORLD CONFERENCE ON HIGHER EDUCATION IN PARIS NEXT WEEK - 1 OCTOBER 1998
The Minister of Education, Professor Sibusiso Bengu, is to lead a delegation to the World Conference on Higher Education under the auspices of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) in Paris, France from October 5 to 9.
Over 100 ministers of education from all over the world will attend the conference.
The conference will be attended by about 2 000 decision-makers, experts, teachers, students and business representatives.
"Higher Education in the Twenty-First Century: Vision and Action" will be the theme of the conference, intended to map out fundamental principles of far-reaching reform of higher education world wide.
Unesco is convening the conference to reaffirm its strong commitment to foster the development of higher education and research, a key element of its mission enshrined in the organisation's statutes more than 50 years.
Decisions to be taken at the forum are expected to constitute a landmark for the renewal of education, comparable to previous major conferences on various aspects of education.
Professor Bengu will present his talk on October 6.
According to the organisers of the conference, the Minister has been invited to share ideas on the transformation of South Africa's higher education "in the aftermath" of the transition to full democracy.
Included in the South African delegation will be Ms Nasima Badsha (Deputy Director-General: Higher Education), Professor Wiseman Nkuhlu (Chairperson of the Committee for Higher education), and Ms Piyushi Kotecha (Executive officer: SA University Vice Chancellor Association).
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