Professor Jan Servaes appointed UNESCO Chair

The Massachusetts Daily Collegian reports that Jan Servaes has been appointed UNESCO Chair (in Communication for Sustainable Social Change). Dr. Servaes is on the faculty of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he hosts the show “Encounters” and where he started the Communication for Sustainable Social Change research center on campus. He is an editor of the Telematics and Informatics journal as well as editor of several books.

I quote from the article:  

Serveas, who has a long history with UNESCO, first applied for the position in the spring of 2009. He received a recommendation from Sen. John Kerry (D – Mass.). His application was screened in the United States, then at the head offices of UNESCO in Paris, France. Afterwards, UNESCO and UMass negotiated the details of the contract, a process which was slowed by changes in administrative positions.

By being a UNESCO chair, Servaes hopes to create more opportunities for his students to study communications at the international level by giving them access to more conferences as well as grant money.

“I have always had these kinds of international connections … [but] I hope it will gradually open more doors and bring more support to the university,” said Servaes.

Congratulations to Dr. Servaes!  

You can read more about the UNESCO Chairs/UNITWIN Networks in general and in the United States:

• on the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO website
• on the UNESCO website