Prof. Bhagwati Prakash Sharma to Chair UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute's Annual Meeting

In the Imperial Hotel, Delhi, Professor Bhagwati Prakash Sharma, the Chairman of the Governing Board of the UNESCO-operated Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development, will preside over the 11th Annual Meeting. During the meeting, scheduled for December 1 and 2, 2023, Professor Sharma will present the annual report for the year 2023.

Professor Bhagwati Prakash Sharma, who also serves as the Governing Board Chairman and the Chair of the Pacific Association of Universities, informed that the meeting will include the participation of Ms. Eiko Doden from Japan, Ms. Becky Transis from England, Ms. H.H.G.K.R. Hewage from Indonesia, Mr. Mohan Manasinghe from Sri Lanka, and Ms. Oyuntsetseg Purevjav from Mongolia as members of the Governing Board.

As the Chairman of the Governing Board and the Pacific Association of Universities, Professor Bhagwati Prakash Sharma mentioned that India's Education Secretary, Sanjay Khemka, and NIPA's Chancellor, Shashikala Wanjari, will also be part of the Governing Board meeting as government representatives. The meeting will include observers such as Mr. Richard Davidson from the United States, Ms. Surina Shukri from Malaysia, Mr. Peter Rah from Korea, Ms. Suhyun Kim from Thailand, UNESCO's Additional Director-General Stefania Giannini, and UNESCO Director Timothy Curtis.

The agenda of the 2023 Annual Meeting in Delhi includes a review of the activities of the previous year and the finalization of plans and budgets for the upcoming year 2024.

The UNESCO-operated Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development is the only Category 1 institute of UNESCO for the Asia-Pacific region. Over the past year, the institute has provided training to 400,000 students, 1.5 million teachers, and 35,000 youths. In addition to the annual meeting, the institute will also host a farewell program for the outgoing Director, Mr. Anantha Kumar Malleshappa, from Malaysia, whose six-year term is coming to an end. The Mahatma Gandhi Institute focuses on imparting training programs on compassion, biodiversity, and sustainable development among students, youth, and teachers.