the elaboration of educational programmes tailored to the cultural, social and economic needs of different learning environments;

- the analysis and evaluation of educational systems for effective training of educational managers and planners;

- prospective studies for the elaboration of system-wide reforms to promote quality education.  

- The multidisciplinary nature of universities provides an important added value to this area;

- the improvement of teaching/learning methods and tools, including not only content but innovative development and production in decentralized systems; 

- the establishment of networks of institutions that contribute to reinforcing educational capacities, in particular through intellectual exchanges (e.g. through networks and twinning of universities).

In all of the above, the targeting of research on high priority areas such as literacy education, preventive education, education for tolerance and inter-cultural understanding, inclusive education.

promoting quality teacher-training by: attracting competent candidates to the profession; promoting pre-training which promotes innovative professional performance, promoting the participation of teachers in activities aiming to renew the education system by using existing UNESCO/ILO normative instruments in this regard; promoting the use of ICTs for EFA in curricula; improving the status and working conditions of teachers; establishment of in-service training;  

training of other educational personnel such as guidance counsellors, literacy specialists, educational managers, educational psychologists, special needs education experts;

reviewing national and institutional higher education plans, especially as regards teacher-education, to bring them, where necessary, more in line with national development commitments;

concentrating on institution-building, to move towards, or restore, excellence in those normal college and higher-education departments which provide teacher training, and deeply reflect national cultures and aspirations;

bringing squarely into policy dimensions of development of higher education teaching personnel the importance of academic freedom, and the other rights enshrined in the 1997 Recommendation on the Status of Higher Education Teaching Personnel, specifically to help preclude the brain-drain of staff where these rights are not observed;

mobilisation of students in the service of EFA goals.

harnessing of the important role that universities can play in conceiving and implementing educational projects, organising training projects for non-formal education programmes, research in educational sciences, production of pedagogical materials. The potential for these activities to be mobilised for national projects as well as other development initiatives is a valuable resource