UNESCO Chair of the Political Economy of Education

 

The purpose of the Chair 

Education policy, as with other aspects of public policy, is shaped by a complex set of economic, political and social factors. The critical analysis of this process is the function of political economy; a task made more urgent in the context of globalization and of rapid political, economic and social transition. The political economy of education uses data derived from positive economics and from other social sciences, such as sociology and political science, to analyse how education policy is determined and implemented. A specific focus is the financing of education and its relationship with the labour market.

The purpose of the Chair is to develop the political economy of education comparatively within the context of international development objectives. Its focus is on joint research and on staff and post-graduate student development at the higher education and advanced policy levels. The building of human resource capacity and the sharing of knowledge and expertise in these areas are crucial to international, regional and national development. The UNESCO Chair in Political Economy of Education contributes to such capacity building through the building of an international academic network with a focus on the comparative political economy of education.

Further information about the work of UNESCO can be found at:

• United Kingdom National Commission for UNESCO
• UNESCO