UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme

UNITWIN is the abbreviation for the University Twinning and Networking Programme. The Programme was established in 1992 following the relevant decision of UNESCO’s General Conference taken at its 26th session.

The UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme was conceived as a way to advance research, training and programme development in all of UNESCO’s fields of competence by building university networks and encouraging inter-university cooperation through the transfer of knowledge across borders. Since it was established in 1992, the programme has aroused great interest among Member States.

Launched in 1992, the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme, which involves over 700 institutions in 116 countries, promotes international inter-university cooperation and networking to enhance institutional capacities through knowledge sharing and collaborative work. The programme supports the establishment of UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks in key priority areas related to UNESCO’s fields of competence – i.e. in education, the natural and social sciences, culture and communication.

Through this network, higher education and research institutions all over the globe pool their resources, both human and material, to address pressing challenges and contribute to the development of their societies. In many instances, the networks and chairs serve as thinktanks and bridgebuilders between academia, civil society, local communities, research and policy-making. They have proven useful in informing policy decisions, establishing new teaching initiatives, generating innovation through research and contributing to the enrichment of existing university programmes while promoting cultural diversity. In areas lacking expertise, chairs and networks have evolved into poles of excellence and innovation at regional or sub-regional levels. They also contribute to strengthening North-South-South cooperation.

How to establish a UNESCO Chair? 

A UNESCO Chair can be established as a new teaching and research unit at a university or other institution of higher education and/or research for an initial period of four years.

Such a unit should include:

• a Chair holder as its academic head;

• a team composed of lecturers and researchers from the host institution and from other institutions, both in the country concerned and in other countries, who are associated with the activities of the UNESCO Chair;

• students and researchers from the host country and from other countries who are pursuing postgraduate studies or high-level training and research under the UNESCO Chair.

A UNESCO Chair may be developed within a university department by reinforcing an existing teaching/research programme in a particular field within the domains of competence of UNESCO, and giving it an international dimension.

An agreement is concluded between the Director-General of UNESCO and the rector or president of the university.

Since the UNESCO Chairs are joint undertakings in which UNESCO joins forces with interested institutions, associations, agencies and organizations as well as with potential donors, the Chairs may have a joint designation, for example, UNESCO/IGO Chairs; UNESCO/NGO, agencies Chairs; UNESCO/Consortium of universities Chair(s); UNESCO/Industry Chairs.

UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks are not usually named after individuals, except when they are intended to commemorate an outstanding and universally acknowledged contribution made to the field of study concerned by a person (for example, Cousteau Ecotechnie Network, Oliver Tambo Chair in Human Rights).

How to establish a UNITWIN Network? 

A UNITWIN Network consists of a number of universities in different countries that join forces and collectively sign a joint agreement with UNESCO.

A group of universities in different countries (North-South, South-South or North-South-South) may decide to pool their competences to address a need in the development context, and in so doing establish a network. Within this network, each participating institution may or may not have an individual Chair. However, in practice, institutions in the network progress towards establishing individual chairs. The partnership is formal and is established through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) among the participating institutions. It is concluded for a period of six years and sets out the purpose of the network, its expected outputs, how it will function and how it will be sustained.

Existing inter-university networks may express an interest in becoming a UNITWIN Network by gearing their activities towards the priorities of the Organization and the needs of higher education institutions in the developing countries.

Universities and other higher education institutions hosting UNESCO Chairs may come together to form a UNITWIN Network. In this case, the network is formalized by an exchange of letters between UNESCO and the hosting institution.

Universities, already twinned with other universities by virtue of bilateral agreements, may decide to expand these bilateral agreements into a multilateral one and apply to become a UNITWIN Network.

University cooperation programmes (training and research) in a particular field may be turned into more stable mechanisms of co-operation by the participating institutions agreeing to associate their activities with the goals and objectives of the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme.

Procedure for submission of the project proposals 

Interested institutions should prepare and submit to the Director-General of UNESCO – under the signature of the executive head of the institution – a detailed project proposal according to the project outline in the Annex. It is important to note that a UNITWIN project is established between UNESCO and the institution and not with an individual.

When the project proposal concerns the establishment of an inter-university network, it can be submitted either by the heads of all institutions involved, or by a single institution which takes the lead, acts as the focal point and ensures the development of the network. When this is the case, the respective participating institutions should provide a letter of commitment to the proposed network, signed by the head of the institution.

UNESCO encourages a tripartite relationship in the preparation of the proposal for a UNESCO Chair. The national level team should comprise the university, the UNESCO office and the National Commission for UNESCO. When this is the case, the proposal should be submitted to the Director-General of UNESCO by the university with evidence of the cooperation process (for example, meeting report, covering notes signed by the Head of UNESCO office and the Secretary-General of the National Commission respectively). In countries where there is no UNESCO office, participation in this mechanism is not feasible, and the proposal should be submitted through the National Commission and the Permanent Delegation.

In the case of a UNITWIN Network, it is preferred that the proposal be prepared in consultation with the UNESCO staff responsible for the area of focus. However, submission of the network to the Director General of UNESCO should be made by a representative of the host institution (President, Rector …).

Every project must be accompanied by a letter of support from the National Commission and supporting documents from institutional and financial partners.

The deadline for submission of new proposals is 30 April of each year. Projects submitted after that date will be considered the following year.

Assessment and approval of the proposal  

Once UNESCO receives the project proposal, a process of review and analysis is undertaken.

In the light of the growing number of requests for the establishment of UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks and the need to maintain a geographical balance between Chairs in the North and in the South, it is not possible for UNESCO to accept all the requests it receives for the establishment of Chairs or networks.

When the project proposal has completed its cycle for evaluation, the Division of Higher Education informs the institution of the results. If UNESCO evaluates the project positively, then the relevant agreement is drawn up and signed by the Director-General of UNESCO and the representative of the host institution president (Rector or President…). A funding source can also be a signatory to the agreement. The agreement signed by the host institution must be received by UNESCO within 60 days of the date of its signature by the Director-General of UNESCO.

UNITWIN-UNESCO Chairs in Turkey

1 UNESCO Chair on Mechatronics (1993), Bogaziçi University, Istanbul

2 UNESCO Chair in Computer - Integrated Manufacturing University of Galatasaray (1997), Istanbul

3 UNESCO Chair in Philosophy and Human Rights (2009), Maltepe University

4 UNESCO Chair on the Management and Promotion of World Heritage Sites: New Media and Community Involvement (2015), Kadir Has University

5 UNESCO Chair on Cultural Diplomacy, Governance and Education (2015), Istanbul Aydin University

6 UNESCO Chair on Improvement in Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (2016), Giresun University

7 UNESCO Chair on gender equality and sustainable development (2016), Koç University

8 UNESCO Chair on Education for Sustainable Peace (2016), Istanbul Aydin University

9 UNESCO Chair on International Migration (2016), Yaşar University

10 UNESCO Chair on Intangible Cultural Heritage in Formal and Informal Education (2017), Gazi University, Ankara

11 UNESCO Chair on Cultural Policy and Cultural Diplomacy (2018), Istanbul Bilgi University