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In 2024, two new UNESCO Chairs were appointed in India and Bangladesh, joining the existing network of 19 other Chairs across South Asia. Established in 1992, the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme is an inter-sectoral network of higher education institutions which share their expertise to address complex interdependent development challenges. The Programme promotes international inter-university cooperation and networking to enhance institutional capacities through knowledge sharing and collaborative work.

The first of these Chairs focusing on “Renewable and Clean Energy for Sustainable Development” has been established in the Department of Green Energy Technology, Madanjeet School of Green Energy Technologies in Pondicherry University. The chair will promote greener and cleaner energy technologies (solar, wind, biomass, hydro, ocean, green hydrogen, etc.) to address critical global challenges such as climate change, global warming, environmental pollution, and energy crisis for sustainable development. The chair will also advocate for the development of efficient technologies like fuel cells, hydrogen, electrical mobility, energy efficient storage systems, carbon capture, green building and green chemical technologies, etc. for the promotion of sustainability in energy generation and use.

The second UNESCO Chair dedicated to “Industry Integration in Higher Education Systems” is established in the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. This Chair will promote an integrated system of research, teaching and training, as well as community engagement and communication, enhancing collaboration among researchers and educators both within the host institution and internationally. 

With the establishment of these two new Chairs, there are now 21 UNESCO Chairs in South Asia. They will help to mobilize university expertise and foster collaboration around the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and contribute significantly to UNESCO’s strategic objectives on Education, Natural and Social Sciences, Culture and Communication. The Chairs serve as think tanks and act as bridges between academia, civil society, local communities, research and policymakers. 

Contacts:

1. Prof. R. Arun Prasath, UNESCO Chair on Renewable and Clean Energy for Sustainable Development at DGET, Pondicherry University.
   Email: raprasath@pondiuni.ac.in 
2. Dr. Muhammad Anisuzzaman Talukder, UNESCO Chair on Industry Integration in Higher Education Systems at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.
   Email: anis@eee.buet.ac.bd