About
The UNESCO Chair on “Water Resources Management and Culture”, established in Perugia in 2013 following the Agreement between UNESCO, the University for Foreigners of Perugia, and the Honors Center of Italian Universities (H2CU), is one of the Water-related UNESCO Chairs.
The Chair is based at the University for Foreigners of Perugia and was ratified on 5 June 2013 in Paris by UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, through an agreement that specifically defines the Chair’s mission [...] Art. 2 The purpose of the Chair is to promote an integrated system of research, training, information, and documentation on water management. It aims to foster collaboration between internationally recognised leading researchers and the University’s teaching staff, as well as with other institutions in Italy, Europe, Africa, Asia, and other world regions.
The Chair’s specific objectives are:
- to further develop the existing six-month course on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), integrating technical and cultural dimensions, and to train students, faculty, water and development professionals, water service providers, institutional decision-makers, and trainers
- to conduct joint research activities with partners, advancing knowledge that underpins innovative and interdisciplinary water management strategies, and to widely disseminate the results; to support the establishment of a network of experts and institutions for collaborative actions and the exchange of knowledge and best practices in water management
- to encourage the creation of scientific, social, and management support systems to facilitate and strengthen cooperation among relevant institutions at national and regional levels
- and to work closely with UNESCO on relevant programmes and initiatives, particularly with the International Hydrological Programme and the World Water Assessment Programme in the context of their activities.
The Chair is a member of the UNESCO University Twinning and Networking (UNITWIN) Programme, which aims to foster networking and twinning among Universities. Established in 1992, the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme seeks to advance research and training in higher education, with a particular focus on inter-university cooperation and cross-border knowledge transfer in development projects. The dual role of UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks is to serve as both “think tanks” and “bridge builders” between academia, civil society, local communities, research, and policy-making.
People
Chiara Biscarini Chairholder
Chairholder in Water Resources Management and Culture
Full Professor of Water Engineering
Università per Stranieri di Perugia