UNESCO Paris 3-4 November 2022, An international conference to mark the 30th anniversary of the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme

TRANSFORMING KNOWLEDGE FOR JUST AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURES

Established in 1992, the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme is an inter-sectoral network to mobilize and share the expertise of higher education institutions to address complex interdependent development challenges. It promotes international inter-university cooperation and networking to enhance institutional capacities through knowledge sharing and collaborative work.

The 850 university chairs and UNITWIN research networks from over 110 countries represent a unique resource for intellectual and scientific cooperation at national, regional and global levels. They play a key strategic role in strengthening connections between knowledge, research, education, and public policies.

As the world faces multiple overlapping social, economic, political, technological and environmental disruptions, the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme is needed more than ever. The inter-disciplinary nature of the Programme is well placed to address some of these issues. As well as recognizing past accomplishments, this conference will take a forward-looking approach and consider the future potential of UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks in contributing to the knowledge commons and open science.

This conference, organized by UNESCO with the support of the French National Commission for UNESCO, will celebrate the accomplishments of the Programme over the last three decades and advance authentic interdisciplinary dialogues and the cross-sectoral mobilization needed to confront the complex challenges on the horizon. Dedicated to the theme of “Transforming knowledge for just and sustainable futures”, the two-day event is grounded in the spirit of global scientific, moral, intellectual, and academic solidarity.