World Renowned Humanist Invited by UNAPEC Will Visit the DR

Dr. Carlos Tunnermann, one of the continent’s most respected experts in higher education, will be visiting the Dominican Republic under the auspices of APEC University (UNAPEC). He will be involved in a series of activities beginning Tuesday November 18 until Thursday the 20th.

Tunnerman will be vested with the highest academic honor awarded by universities, an Honorary Doctorate Degree,

UNAPEC Rector, Justo Pedro Castellanos made the announcement to reporters at a press conference in APEC’s José María Bonetti Burgos Cultural Center.

Mr. Castellanos said Dr. Tunnerman will be vested with the highest academic honor awarded by universities, an Honorary Doctorate Degree, in a ceremony to be held on Thursday November 20 at 7:00 p.m. at the main APEC University campus.

On the same day, UNAPEC will publish the series “UNAPEC Conference for a Better World,” which includes “Challenges Facing Universities in the 21st Century and the Impact of the Regional Higher Education Conference (1996),” and “World Higher Education Conference for the 21st Century (1998) in Higher Education for Latin America and the Caribbean (1998),” which formed part of the 2008 Regional Higher Education Conference (CRES) held in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.

On Tuesday, November 18, Dr. Tunnermann will give a workshop on academic and university models in which 50 university experts will participate, 40 from UNAPEC, 5 from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology and 5 from the Association of Dominican University Rectors (ADRU).

On Thursday the 20th, a colloquium will be held to discuss the impact of the 1996 regional conference and the 1998 world conference of higher education. The discussion will be open to institutions and individuals involved or interested in higher education in the country. This round table discussion was designed by the organizing institutions who will put forward their conclusions on the topic.

The institutions which jointly organized the colloquium with UNAPEC are the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (SEESCT) and the Association of Dominican University Rectors (ADRU).

Dr. Castellanos noted that this colloquium seeks to provide a space for reflection to analyze the impact of the World Conference on Higher Education held in Paris in 1998, the Regional Higher Education Conference (CRES) in 2008 and their importance in promoting higher education in the country, the region and the world.

In addition, the round table is meant to generate a national debate on the weaknesses and strengths of higher education in the DR, from the point of view of the information presented by Dr. Tunnerman which includes strengthening the links between the national education system and relevant individuals involved in higher education around the world which should benefit the development of country´s educational institutions.

Carlos Tunnermann holds a PhD in Law from the Autonomous National University of Nicaragua in Leon and a post graduate degree in Educational Planning from the International Institute of Educational Planning, UNESCO, Paris. Throughout his visit to the higher education community in the Dominican Republic, Dr. Tunnerman will share his vast experience in the field. He has been invited by the APEC University.