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What is a UNESCO Chair |
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| A UNESCO Chair is a team led by a higher education or research institution that partners with UNESCO on a project to advance knowledge and practice in an area of common priority. There are currently some 1000 UNESCO Chairs. |
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What is UNITWIN NETWORK? |
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| UNITWIN Network is a partnership between UNESCO and a network of higher education or research institutions of at least three institutions in different countries, at least two of which must be located in the Global South, and which pool their competencies and resources around particular theme(s). There are currently some 45 UNITWIN Networks. |
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Introducing the UNESCO Chair at UVU |
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| The office for Global Engagement has had a history of working with the United Nations in bringing many global dignitaries to campus. Since 2017, UVU became an associated member of the UN Department of Global Communications, and took the lead to promote the global 2030 agenda for sustainable development. In 2018, the office partnered with Mayor Jackie Biskupski to organize the United Nation 68th Civil Society Conference in Salt Lake City. This event has been the largest civil society conference on record, and the first UN conference in the USA to be held outside of the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. In 2019, the Office for Global Engagement became associated to the United Nations Academic Impact program. This collaboration allowed us to organize the First International Academic Conference on the Sustainable Development Goals "Why It Matters" at Utah Valley University. A multitude of academic presentations were featured at the conference representing the 17 goals from more the 40 countries in attendance. A Call for papers was given, and 238 papers were blind copy peer reviewed among many institutions globally were 78 of them were published in a special edition which can be found online at the United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld library, and several university libraries worldwide. In a spirit of continuing to further the global 2030 agenda, in 2024, Dr. Baldomero Lago and Dr. Maritza Sotomayor applied to UNESCO, seeking to house a UNESCO Chair at UVU. In February 2025, UNESCO in Paris awarded Utah Valley University the UNESCO Chair on Al, Environmental Stewardship and Sustainable Futures. | |
