Background of the UNESCO Chair

History

The UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme was established in 1992 by the UNESCO to implement the UNESCO's goals in education and science, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), as global development guidelines. The international network of currently 710 UNESCO Chairs in 124 countries with their special profiles in research and teaching contributes to this aim.

Objective

The objective of the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chair programme is to build the capacities of higher education and research institutions through the exchange of knowledge and sharing by promoting mobility and the exchange of researchers, university lecturers, and students. Thus the UNESCO Chairs function as think tanks and 'bridge-builders' between the academic world, civil society, local people, research, and politics.

UNESCO Chairs in Germany

At this time, there are eleven UNESCO Chairs in Germany with different thematic focuses. The UNESCO Chair on World Heritage and Biosphere Reserve Observation and Education at the Heidelberg University of Education is the only one in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. In the recommendation of the German Commission for UNESCO this Chair was established within a perennial national and international application procedure resulting in an agreement between the UNESCO Paris and the Heidelberg University of Education.