Plan Now to Apply to UNESCO's University Twinning and Networking Scheme

The UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Program was conceived as a way to advance research, training and program. development in higher education by building university networks and encouraging inter-university cooperation through transfer of knowledge across borders. (UNITWIN is the abbreviation for the UNIVERSITY TWINNING and networking scheme) Today some 580 UNESCO Chairs and 65 UNITWIN Networks are included in the Program involving over 700 institutions in 124 countries.

U.S. university departments can accomplish several things at once by participating in the program:

* Membership in an international network of peer organizations
* Access to new research opportunities
* Opportunities to recruit foreign students
* Enhanced national and international visibility
* Opportunity to help build the capacity of developing country universities

The number of U.S. University Chairs at this time is not nearly commensurate with the international importance of the U.S. higher educational system, and we strongly encourage applications from interested university departments in education, the natural sciences, the social and human sciences, cultural fields, and communications and information related fields.

The deadline for submission of new projects under UNITWIN is 30 of April of each year. However, applications from U.S. organizations should be submitted via the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO, which establishes an earlier deadline. Check the National Commission website for more information. Now would seem to be the time to consider an application, and to begin making contacts with potential partners.

The UNESCO Chairs in the United States are (click here to go to the UNESCO website for descriptions of the programs):

UNESCO Chair in Education for peace (172), established in 1996 at the University of Puerto Rico (United States of America)

Mobile UNESCO Chair dedicated to the Problems of Habitability in the Hispanoamerican Cities and to the Integral Revitalization of their Historical Centres (173), established in 1996 at the University of Puerto Rico (United States of America)

UNESCO Chair in Higher Education (485), established in 1999 at the University of Puerto Rico (United States of America)

UNESCO Chair in Comparative Human Rights (544), established in 2001 at the University of Connecticut (United States of America)

UNESCO Chair in Human Rights (595), established in 2002 at Florida Atlantic University (United States of America)

UNESCO-Cousteau Ecotechnie Chair in Global Coastal Assessment (658), established in 2004 at the University of Rhode Island, Narragansett (United States of America)

UNESCO-Cousteau Ecotechnie Chair in Coastal Resources (665), established in 2004 at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Jersey (United States of America)

UNESCO Chair in Communication (673), established in 2000 at the University of Texas, College of Communication, Austin (United States of America)

UNESCO Chair in Inclusive Education (692), established in 2005 at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center (United States of America)

UNESCO Chair in Bioethics (700), established in 2005 at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, Washington D.C.(United States of America)

UNESCO Chair on Growing up in cities (702), established in 2005 at the Cornell University, New York (United States of America)

UNESCO Chair in creating independent, pluralistic media: training and exchange programme for journalists (703), established in 2005 at the Regents of the University of Colorado, a body corporate, at Boulder, School of Journalism and Mass Communication (United States of America)