17 May to 02 June 2016

Tehran, Iran

The Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University Tehran (SRTTU), a member of the UNEVOC Network since 2006, conducted two technical teacher training programmes on Industrial Hydraulics and Pumps, and the Production & Processing of Geospatial Information. The programmes aimed at building the capacities of teachers who are already engaged in these vocational and technical fields, and equip them with the skills necessary to promote and enhance their teaching techniques.

The programme was organized in response to UNESCO-UNEVOC’s call for proposal for innovative capacity building programmes in the UNEVOC Network. The programme was conducted by SRTTU faculty members and the trainees included 10 participants from Afghanistan and 17 from Iran mobilized through the UNESCO-UNEVOC Network and UNESCO National Commissions in each country. The specific objectives of the programme included:

• Bringing the trainees up to date on the recent developments in the course themes;
• Providing access to, and knowledge about using state of the art tools for learning and qualitative improvements in their pedagogical approaches;
• Establishing linkages within the community to ensure that subsequent exchange of information and knowledge between the institutions represented by the participants continues.

One of the outcomes of the capacity development programme was the promotion of knowledge and skills-enhancement of the trainees, such that they can relay them in their institutions of learning while also ensuring the responsiveness of these skills and knowledge, to regional and local dynamics.

Regional Network meeting for the South Asia cluster

UNESCO-UNEVOC organized a network sub-cluster meeting on 23 and 24 May hosted by the SRTTU. The meeting brought together Network members from Afghanistan, India, Iran, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, as well as representatives from the UNESCO Office in Kabul, UNESCO Cluster Office Tehran, and the UNESCO National Commissions in Iran and Tajikistan. The main objectives of this meeting were to:

• Consolidate and reactivate the UNEVOC Network in the South Asian cluster through clarification of the Network operating structure, strategy, the roles and responsibilities of the UNEVOC Centres , opportunities and coordination mechanisms;
• Exchange information on country, regional and sub-regional activities and strategies for TVET, that could lead to formulating future joint projects within common priorities of UNESCO and the Member States in TVET;
• Develop a regional networking action plan towards the transformation of TVET in alignment to the UNESCO TVET Strategy (2016-2021);
• Identify the potential activities in which the regional UNEVOC Centres could engage with other Network members from the South Asian cluster, and/or beyond.

The meeting included a briefing to the network members on TVET in the backdrop of the SDGs, as well as apprising them on recent UNESCO-UNEVOC network operations. In addition, the meeting also provided a platform to the network members in the sub-region to share their views and also discuss possibilities of deeper engagement within and beyond the UNEVOC Network.