UNESCO consultant visits campus June 28-29 Clinton Robinson, a consultant in education and development for UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), will visit UND to talk about a variety of topics Thursday and Friday. Robinson's visit is sponsored by the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL). Among Robinson's topics: literacy, sustaining development in developing countries, minority and indigenous languages, and Education for All, a movement to provide basic education for children, youth and adults. Robinson is involved in the coordination and monitoring of "Education for All" programs. Robinson holds a Ph.D. in sociolinguistics from Reading University. He has published in the areas of literacy, minority language development, and the sustainability of development programs. He worked with Summer Institute of Linguistics, first in Africa and later as an international consultant, and eventually in Paris to represent SIL to UNESCO. Robinson is highly respected for his advocacy work for minority languages. He lives in Paris. Robinson's talks are free and open to the public. Thursday, June 28: * 8 to 11 a.m., "Literacy and Its Place in Educational Development Efforts, International Understandings of Literacy, the UND Literacy Decade," Room 10, Merrifield Hall. * 8 to 9 p.m., "Education for All: Aims, Progress, Challenges, Links with Development and the Millennium Development Goals," Room 5, Gamble Hall. Friday, June 29: * 8 to 11 a.m., "Models of Development, Concern for Africa, Links with Sustainable Development," Room 10, Merrifield Hall. * 1 to 2 p.m., "Sociolinguistics - Minority and Indigenous Languages in the International System - Conventions, Declarations, Trends and Initiatives," Room 7, Gamble Hall. Robinson works as a senior programme specialist with UNESCO. Based in Paris, he is part of the coordination team for the Education for All movement and the UN Literacy Decade. He previously worked as an independent consultant in education and development, and prior to that worked with SIL International. He worked in a language project in Cameroon, as branch director and later in training in the United Kingdom. He set up the SIL UK Literacy and Development Liaison Unit (later International Programmes), and developed SIL International’s relationship with the UN system. He holds degrees from Oxford (M.A.), Paris (Licence and Maîtrise) and Reading (M.A. and Ph.D.). His Ph.D. research looked at language use in rural development in Africa. His publications and research interests include sociolinguistics, literacy and basic education, development and international networking. If you wish to discuss other topics with Robinson, contact Diana Weber, Johnstone 110, 777-8338.