Building Partnerships to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals
12 June 2024
UNESCO UK Chairs Conference at University College London (UCL) 18 and 19 July 2024 London, United Kingdom

Background
Hosted by the UNESCO Chair in Artificial Intelligence and UNESCO Chair on Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience Engineering at University College London (UCL), the UNESCO UK Chairs Conference at UCL brings together distinguished UNESCO Chairs from across the United Kingdom to discuss and advance their collective contributions to science, education, and sustainable development. The two-day event will focus on the theme of activating UK expertise and building partnerships to address global challenges and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Programme
Description |
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12:30 PM – 1:00 PM - Registration and Welcome Refreshments John Shawe-Taylor, Dina D’Ayala |
1:00 PM – 1:15 PM - Introduction and Welcome Welcome remarks by Professor Anne Anderson, Chair, UK National Commission for UNESCO. Welcome remarks by Professor Nigel Tichiner-Hooker, Dean of UCL Engineering. |
1:15 PM – 2:30 PM - The Distinctive Contribution of UNESCO Chairs in advancing Science and Education, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. Speakers: Professor Anne Anderson, Chair, UKNC. Professor David Drewry, Vice-Chair, UKNC and Professor David Hannah, UNESCO Chair in Water Sciences, University of Birmingham. Speakers: Professor Dina D’Ayala, UNESCO Chair on Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience Engineering, UCL and Professor John Shawe-Taylor, UNESCO Chair on Artificial Intelligence, UCL. |
2:30 PM – 2:45 PM - Coffee Break |
2:45 PM – 3.30 PM - Debate Discussion: Engaging and Influencing UNESCO Policy Moderator: Professor Dina D’Ayala, UCL. Contributors:
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3:30 PM – 5:00 PM - Activating UNESCO Chair Contributions to UK and UNESCO Priorities; including Women and Girls’ Education and Campus Africa
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5:00 PM – 5:10 PM - Concluding Remarks and Next Steps Day 1 Professor Anne Anderson, Chair, UKNC |
5.30 PM – 7.30 PM - Dinner Reception at the Grant Museum of Zoology Rockefeller Building, 21 University St, London WC1E 6DE |
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM - Morning Coffee and Informal Networking |
09:30 AM – 10:30 AM - Session Topic to be determined by Chair contributions in advance. May include; Case Studies: Innovations and Impact through UNESCO Chairs following a call for contributions that could also be included in an online repository Presentations by UNESCO Chairs showcasing their projects and outcomes Emphasis on innovative approaches, research contributions, and educational impacts
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10:30 AM – 10:45 AM - Coffee Break |
10:45 AM – 11:30 AM - Comms Panel Debate: Enhancing the Visibility and Impact of UNESCO Chairs John Carmichael, Head of Communications and Marketing, UKNC. Professor Alison Phipps, UNESCO Chair in Refugee Integration through Languages and the Arts, University of Glasgow and Professor Peter Frankopan, UNESCO Chair in Silk Roads Studies, University of Cambridge. Contributions from other chairs who have been successful in communicating their work. |
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM - Follow-up and next steps, including Campus Africa engagement Moderator: Professor Anne Anderson Emphasis on innovative approaches, research contributions, and educational impacts |
12:15 PM – 13:00 PM - Closing Keynote: UNESCO Chairs and Strategic Partnerships Speaker: Colin de la Higuera, who in 2017, based on the project Class’Code contributed to launch in France, a UNESCO Chair in Technologies for the Training of Teachers by Open Educational Resources at the University of Nantes. Since 2020, he is Chief Equality Advocate at IRCAI. In 2021, UNESCO renewed the Chair in “Open Educational Resources and Artificial Intelligence”. |
13:00 PM - Conference Close Professor Anne Anderson, Chair, UK National Commission for UNESCO. |