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.
UNU-MERIT’s UNESCO Chair on Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development for Latin America aims to develop and strengthen science, technology and innovation policy and research in the region.
Read our UNESCO Chair’s 2022-2023 annual report here.
The Chair’s goal is pursued through research, advanced training and policy recommendations to help national and regional decision-makers, policy experts and business sector representatives develop and strengthen their capacities in science, technology and innovation (STI). The Chair also aims to support and enhance regional networks of policymakers and researchers.
Led by Professor Carlo Pietrobelli, the Chair aims to help achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, including through advanced-level teaching and policy-relevant research. Specifically, this includes:
- Identifying, discussing and socialising the main challenges regarding STI in Latin America
- Strengthening the teaching of STI in postgraduate programs (Masters and PhD) via a network of universities in Latin America
- The promotion and dissemination of policy-relevant research and ideas
- Promoting the training of policymakers, students and other relevant audiences in Latin America on the themes of STI
- Enabling deeper research- and policy-related collaboration on design, implementation and evaluation, including in support of UNESCO LA Policy Lab.
This unique initiative builds on UNU-MERIT’s record of nurturing STI expertise and solidifies UNU-MERIT’s strategic partnership with UNESCO. It serves as the institute’s main gateway to engaging with national governments and universities in a number of countries in Latin America.