RESEARCH AND TRAINING UNESCO CHAIR ESTABLISHED AT COPPERBELT UNIVERSITY; PROF O. SHUMBA IS CHAIRHOLDER

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Copperbelt University signed an Agreement for the establishment of a UNESCO chair on Mathematics, Science, and Technology Teacher Education for Sustainable Development (MaSTESD) at the Copperbelt University. This UNESCO Chair was officially established since 17 June 2022 within the framework of the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme. The Chair is mentioned in the global list of Chairs on the UNITWIN website: list-unesco-chairs.pdf.

Professor Overson Shumba has been appointed as the UNESCO Chair-holder on Mathematics, Science, and Technology Teacher Education for Sustainable Development (MaSTESD) hosted at the Copperbelt University. 

The purpose of the Chair is to promote an integrated system of research, training, information and documentation on quality and relevance of mathematics, science and technology education, articulating change theory and transformative pedagogy towards sustainable development. The chair will facilitate collaboration between high-level, internationally-recognized researchers and teaching staff of the University and other institutions including the School of Education, University of Zambia (UNZA), School of Education, Mukuba University, as well as Open University of Tanzania, the Midlands state University (Zimbabwe), University of Zimbabwe (UZ) and the Swedish International Centre of Education for Sustainable Development and the Uppsala University Campus (Sweden) and other regions in the world.

The mandate of the Chair includes

• inculcating Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) discourses and action research in mathematics, science, and technology education (MSTE) (curriculum, pedagogy and assessment),
• Strengthening capacity to mainstream ESD and the SDGs in MSTE,  
• identify, document and disseminate institutional change projects that show innovation in integrating ESD and lCTs in MSTE, and
• engaging and cooperating with other educational institutions, governmental and non-governmental departments and organisations, business and industries, and communities, to strengthen and popularise MSTE.

Further, the Chair on MaSTESD will contribute towards the main areas of work of the UNESCO HQ Teacher Section that include the following:

• Mainstreaming cross-cutting issues (ESD, GCED, peace, climate change in teacher education and continuous professional training programmes of TEIs and partners interventions
• Technical Guidance for Developing and Operationalizing National Teacher Competences and Standards Frameworks
• Implementing the UNESCO Guide on Teacher Education curriculum frameworks; Guidebook on ESD for teacher Educators; A guide for gender equality in teacher policy and practices
• Teacher Education and Professional Development
• Global Teacher Campus-Online, collaborative professional learning, peer learning
• WTD to advocate for addressing the teacher shortage and improving the status and working conditions of teachers and education staff.

Congratulations Prof. Shumba !!