A Memorandum of Understanding creating the Higher Education Outreach Project among the United Nations, acting through its Department of Public Information (DPI), Fairleigh Dickinson University and the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA) will be signed May 4.

The three organizations have agreed to develop the Higher Education Outreach Project, using videoconferencing as a communication and learning tool. Students at Fairleigh Dickinson and other colleges and universities in the United States — if they possess the required technical capabilities — will be able to follow and participate in discussions among U.N. ambassadors, diplomats and other distinguished individuals. Fairleigh Dickinson University is the only organization or institution with which the United Nations DPI has a memorandum of understanding regarding videoconferences.

As of May 4, the three organizations will begin to organize and develop discussions, meetings, lectures, panels and similar events at U.N. Headquarters in New York City that are suitable for interactive videoconferencing.

For each U.N. event transmitted to FDU via videoconferencing, the University is authorized to distribute it to other colleges and universities. The Department of Public Information at the United Nations will approve the participating institutions and be responsible for the topic, program, schedule and content of these U.N. events.

The University will post the videoconferences on its Global Issues Gateway (http://www.gig.org) Web site and distribute videotapes to the participating institutions or other academic institutions.

The memorandum will be signed at U.N. Headquarters by Shashi Tharoor, undersecretary-general for communications and public information, U.N. DPI; William Luers, president, UNA-USA; and J. Michael Adams, president, at U.N. Headquarters.

This project is being created because the three organizations believe that students should learn how people from different backgrounds and different viewpoints could come together to solve global problems and promote peace. “A university education,” said FDU President J. Michael Adams, “should contain an understanding of and possible interaction with the United Nations. Current and future students should have opportunities to experience the vital role of the United Nations in working toward world peace, sustainable development, adequate natural resource deployment and the welfare of individuals and nations.”

Adams added, “This is an exciting collaboration. It is a direct path to the rich resources within the United Nations, and it is our intention to develop a broad college/university audience, building bridges between academia, the United Nations and the world. Fairleigh Dickinson is very proud to be part of this unique collaboration.”

April/May 2005

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Flor =
College at Florham, Madison, N.J.

Metro =
Metropolitan Campus, Teaneck, N.J.

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