UNESCO Chairs from South Asia unite at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham to shape 2026–27 priorities

A two-day UNESCO round table at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kerala, brought together representatives from South Asia to discuss regional priorities including climate change, digital transformation, AI ethics, and gender equality.

Kerala: A two-day round table on UNESCO’s regional priorities was held at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham in Amritapuri, Kerala. The event brought together over 22 representatives – including UNESCO Chairholders and academic leaders from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka – to align ongoing research and community work with UNESCO’s strategic goals for 2026 and 2027.

Discussions at the round table covered several areas that UNESCO has identified as key concerns globally. These included the triple planetary crisis – climate change, loss of biodiversity, and pollution – along with digital transformation, ethical use of artificial intelligence, gender equality, and ways to involve young people more meaningfully in these conversations.

The event was held in a hybrid format, with some participants joining in person and others online. Senior UNESCO officials present included Tim Curtis, Director of UNESCO’s Regional Office for South Asia; Susan Vize, UNESCO Representative to Bangladesh; and Jaco du Toit, UNESCO Representative to Nepal. The visiting delegation also met with the university’s Chancellor, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi.

During the event, Tim Curtis spoke about the role that UNESCO Chairs play within the organization’s global network, noting that they contribute significantly to policy-level conversations at the international level.

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham currently hosts three UNESCO Chairs. The first, led by Dr. Bhavani Rao, focuses on gender equality and women’s empowerment. The second, under Dr. Maneesha V. Ramesh, works on experiential learning for sustainable innovation and development. The third, led by Dr. Prema Nedungadi, addresses the use of assistive technologies in education.

A UNESCO Chair is a formal partnership between a university or research institution and UNESCO. These chairs work on research, training, and knowledge-sharing in areas such as education, science, culture, and communication. They also contribute to broader policy discussions at the regional and global levels.