United World Colleges

UWC (United World Colleges)
TypeSchools, colleges, and short educational programmes
Established1962; 62 years ago (1962)
FounderKurt Hahn
PresidentQueen Noor of Jordan
Executive DirectorFaith Abiodun
Location
Colleges in 18 countries

UWC International Office,
London and Berlin
Websiteuwc.org

The United World Colleges (UWC) is an international network of schools and educational programmes with the shared aim of "making education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future."[1] The organisation was founded on the principles of German educator Kurt Hahn in 1962 to promote intercultural understanding.[2]

Today, UWC consists of 18 colleges on four continents. Young people from more than 155 countries are selected through a system of national committees and pursue the International Baccalaureate Diploma; some of the schools are also open to younger years. UWC runs the world's largest scholarship programme in international secondary education, with over 80% of students selected by UWC national committees to attend one of the colleges receiving financial support.[3] To date, there are almost 60,000 UWC alumni from all over the world.[4]

The current President of UWC is Queen Noor of Jordan (1995–present). Former South African President Nelson Mandela was joint-President (1995–1999), alongside Queen Noor, and, subsequently, Honorary President of UWC (1999–2013).[5] Former UWC presidents are Louis Mountbatten (1968–1977)[4] and, when he was Prince of Wales, King Charles III (1978–1995).[6]

The movement, including the colleges and national committees, are linked and coordinated by UWC International, which consists of the UWC International Board, the UWC International Council, and the UWC International Office (UWCIO), based in London and Berlin. These entities work together to set the global strategy for the movement, oversee fundraising, and approve new colleges.[7] Faith Abiodun, who joined the movement in 2021, serves as executive director of the International Office,[8] and Musimbi Kanyoro has been the chair of the International Board since 2019.[9]

  1. ^ "Pandemic Brings Challenges for United World College". www.usnews.com.
  2. ^ "A School That Could Be An Anachronism Thrives In The Age Of Trump?". www.forbes.com.
  3. ^ "UWC International Annual Review 2021". United World Colleges International Office. p. 28. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  4. ^ a b "UWC History & Founding Ideas".
  5. ^ "Nelson Mandela UWC". www.uwc.org. Retrieved 2018-11-12.
  6. ^ "UWC History and Founding Ideas". www.uwc.org. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  7. ^ "UWC International". United World Colleges.
  8. ^ "UWC International | Faith Abiodun". United World Colleges.
  9. ^ "UWC International Board | Musimbi Kanyoro". United World Colleges.