Unesco Chairs

Background

The UNITWIN/Unesco Chairs Programme was established in 1992 by Unesco, the United Nations agency for education, culture, science, and communication, with the vision to advance an integrated system of research, training and activities in diverse fields by building university networks and encouraging inter-university cooperation through the transfer of knowledge and expertise across borders. Through the programme, HEIs and research institutions around the world can pool their resources to jointly address global challenges and contribute to development, democracy, and sustainability, in collaboration with Unesco and partners beyond academia.

Today, the programme has grown to include around 1000 Charis across 120 countries. The network contributes in various ways to knowledge development within Unesco. For Swedish researchers and HEIs/research institutions, the programme offers an opportunity to broaden the academic networks and strengthen local, national, and global collaboration with experts and policymakers within the UN system.

The UNITWIN/Unesco Chairs Programme makes a substantive contribution to Unesco’s mission by, inter alia:

• providing a platform for the exchange of knowledge and the advancement of research and higher education within Unesco’s designated priority areas,
• fostering dialogue and collaboration between academia, civil society, local communities, and policymakers,
• promoting interdisciplinary approaches to research, knowledge production, and cooperation,
• enhancing research partnerships and the dissemination of knowledge between the Global North and the Global South,
• supporting institutional capacity-building within the higher education sector,
• contributing to the implementation of UNESCO’s global strategy and sustainable development (currently Medium-Term Strategy for 2022-2029 External link. and Agenda 2030 External link.).

A Unesco Chair shall be established at a higher education institution (HEI) or a research institution, and consists of a Chairholder who, supported by a team of researchers, educators, students, and other partners, leads a project that forms the basis of the application, and the activities carried out during the Chair’s term. The host institution enters into a partnership with Unesco to strengthen knowledge and practices within an area of mutual strategic priority.

The Swedish National Commission for Unesco further aims to ensure that the Swedish Unesco Chairs shall contribute to the work of fulfilling the Strategy for Sweden’s cooperation with Unesco, the Strategic framework of the Swedish National Commission for Unesco, and the dissemination of knowledge about Unesco and Unesco-related issues within Sweden. Moreover, the Unesco Chairs are expected to actively strengthen and expand international collaboration with other HEI’s and research institutions, in particular with fellow participants in the Unesco Chairs Programme. The appointed Chairholder may also be consulted by the Swedish National Commission for Unesco to provide expert input to Unesco within their area of expertise.

Requirements for applicants

The following criteria must be met for an organization to be eligible to apply for the Unesco Chair.

Focus

The thematic focus of the Chair must be aligned with one or more of the following thematic areas:

• education, knowledge and lifelong learning;
• sustainable development;
• freedom of expression and the right to information (including freedom of the press, artistic freedom and academic freedom);
• cultural diversity;
• science, technology and innovation.

with particular emphasis on one or more of the following cross-cutting perspectives: human rights, gender equality, and climate. These areas are central to Unesco’s global strategy and guidelines, the Strategy for Sweden’s cooperation with Unesco, and the Strategic framework of the Swedish National Commission for Unesco.

For reference, please see:

• Medium-Term Strategy for 2022-2029 External link.
• Unesco’s guidelines and procedures External link.
• The strategic framework of the Swedish National Commission for Unesco External link.
• Strategy for Sweden’s cooperation with Unesco External link.

For inquiries regarding the strategies, please contact: eva.lundgren@regeringskansliet.se

The application must include

1. A completed application form, see below
2. A letter from the rector or senior leadership of the applying HEI or research institution
3. Letters of support from the project’s partner institutions
4. Curriculum Vitae of the proposed Chairholder

The application must be written in English and comply with Unesco’s guidelines and procedures, External link.which require, among other elements, a description of the project’s purpose, content, and objectives; partnerships and collaborations; funding arrangements; and an explanation of how the project contributes to UNESCO’s mission and strategic priorities.

Please see the application form. docx, 66 kB. (docx, 66 kB)

Applicants

Applications to establish a Unesco Chair must be submitted by a Swedish university, university college, or research institution intending to host the Chair. The HEI/research institution shall propose a Chairholder in the application, who will also serve as the scientific lead for the application.

The proposed Unesco Chairholder must be a distinguished and well-qualified individual with international recognition in their field and must have attained the title of professor at the time of application.

Number of applications

There is no limit to the number of applications a single HEI/research institution may submit, but a single academic leader may only be suggested as Chairholder in one application and by one HEI or research institution.

Extension of Unesco Chairs

The agreement with Unesco is limited to four years. Thereafter, the Unesco Chair may be extended in accordance with Unesco’s guidelines and procedures.

Funding

The establishment of a Unesco Chair does not entail any financial contribution. Adequate financial funding for the four-year term must be secured by the hosting HEI or research institution.

What must the application contain?

Unesco has guidelines relating to the Unesco Chairs Programme that describe content such as goals and the application procedure. Please refer to Unesco’s guidelines and procedures. External link.

The application to the Swedish Research Council must be written in English and submitted via this application form. docx, 66 kB. (docx, 66 kB)

It must be complete, with the exception of the letter of support from the Swedish National Commission for Unesco (regarding the support letter, see below under Assessment of the Application). Kindly also note the Annex titled Application Form for the Establishment of a Unesco Chair or UNITWIN Network on pages 15–21 of the same document mentioned above (Unesco’s guidelines and procedures). External link.

How the applications are assessed

Applications for Unesco Chairs are assessed in competition with the other applications.

As a first step, they are assessed by members of a panel consisting of the Swedish Research Council’s secretaries general and/or members of scientific councils, councils and committees. The composition of the panel is related to the subject content of the areas the application relates to.

The members will assess and grade each application individually based on two criteria, namely scientific quality and (the research leader’s) merits, plus a summarising grade on a seven-grade scale.The review panel then meets at a review panel meeting to discuss and prioritise the applications, and will then jointly submit a statement for each individual application to the Swedish National Commission for Unesco.

In a second step, applications will be assessed by the Office of the Swedish National Commission for Unesco.

In its review, the Swedish National Commission for Unesco also assesses the applications based on the project's potential to meet Unesco's requirements and the extent to which:

• the proposed activities align with the focus and thematic areas of the announced Unesco Chair;
• the Unesco Chair is expected to contribute to the implementation of the priorities outlined in the Strategy for Sweden’s cooperation with Unesco, as well as the Strategic framework of the Swedish National Commission for Unesco.

Regarding the qualifications of the proposed Unesco Chair holder, the individual must:

• hold a professorship at a Swedish HEI or research institution;
• demonstrate strong and relevant academic qualifications suitable for holding a Unesco Chair and for carrying out the proposed project;
• possess a proven ability and willingness to engage with society at large;
• demonstrate a willingness to remain at the disposal of Unesco within their area of expertise and to be consulted by the Swedish National Commission for Unesco.