UNESCO Chairs in India gather to strengthen collaboration
The Meeting of UNESCO Chairs in India marked the launch of an information booklet entitled UNESCO Chairs in India. The booklet encapsulates the Chairs’ contributions towards UNESCO’s efforts in implementing the Organization’s programmatic priorities and objectives in the country, and in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Meeting also allowed for conversation around work currently undertaken by the Chairs in their respective areas of expertise, as well as discussions on priorities, future course of action and potential intersectoral synergies.
Eric Falt, Director, UNESCO New Delhi, welcomed the participants and highlighted the various initiatives undertaken by the Office in the spheres of education, culture, sciences and communication. He drew attention to the results achieved across UNESCO’s mandate and further expressed the need to enhance impact on the ground in the coming year and the need to strengthen partnerships with the UNESCO Chairs.
The gathering was also addressed by Karel Fracapane, Programme Specialist, Global Citizenship and Peace Education, UNESCO Paris. He emphasized upon the need to inculcate values of global citizenship and peace among students by educating them about the history of genocides.
At the global level, the UNESCO Chairs Programme comprises over 850 academic institutions in 117 countries with the aim of building capacities of higher education and research institutions through the exchange of knowledge and sharing, in the spirit of international solidarity. In India, the network consists of 15 Chairs from reputed Indian institutions and universities covering various domains.
Participants to the Fourth Annual Meeting of UNESCO Chairs in India were the following Chairholders and representatives:
Dr S N Pathan, UNESCO Chair in Peace, Human Rights and Democracy, MIT World Peace University
Prof. M.D. Nalapat, UNESCO Chair for the Promotion of the Culture of Peace and Non-violence, Manipal Academy of Higher Education
Prof. Priyankar Upadhyaya, UNESCO Chair for Peace and Intercultural Understanding, The Banaras Hindu University
Prof. Vinod Pavarala, UNESCO Chair on Community Media, The University of Hyderabad
Dr Manish Srivastava, UNESCO Chair in Climate Science and Policy, TERI University
Dr Rangaraj Giridharan, UNESCO Chair in Inclusive Adapted Physical Education and Yoga, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University
Dr Rajesh Tandon, UNESCO Chair on Community Based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education, Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA)
Dr Shalini Ravikumar, UNESCO Chair on Culture, Habitat and Sustainable Development, Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology,
Prof. Sharmila Dhote and Dr Sebastian Michael, UNESCO-Cardinal Paul Poupard Foundation Chair on Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, St Andrew’s College of Arts, Science and Commerce
Dr Bhavani Rao, UNESCO Chair on Gender Equality and Women Empowerment, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
Dr Manikandan, UNESCO Chair on Community Based Disability Management and Rehabilitation Studies, University of Calicut
Dr Maneesha V. Ramesh, UNESCO Chair on Experiential Learning for Sustainable Innovation and Development, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
Dr W.G. Prasanna Kumar, UNESCO Chair on Experiential Learning, Work Education and Community Engagement, Mahatma Gandhi National Council of Rural Education
Prof. Amareswar Galla, UNESCO Chair on Inclusive Museums and Sustainable Development, Anant National University
Dr Ahammedu Zirajudeen, UNESCO Chair on Indigenous Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development, University of Calicut