UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Chairs

UNESCO Madanjeet Chairs are positions that promote tolerance and non-violence through education and other means. They are part of UNESCO's work to promote the spirit of tolerance and non-violence in the arts, education, culture, science, and communication.

How do UNESCO Madanjeet Chairs work?

UNESCO Madanjeet Chairs act as think tanks that bridge academia, civil society, local communities, research, and policymakers.  Chairs contribute to UNESCO's work at each stage, from exploring emerging issues to implementing policy recommendations.

UNESCO Madanjeet Chairs

• UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Chair on promoting tolerance and non-violence in Chile and Latin America through education: Innaugurated on 3 October 2017 , The UNESCO Madanjeet Chair on promoting tolerance and non-violence in Chile and Latin America through education, established at the Metropolitan University of Educational Sciences in Santiago de Chile (Chile), was inaugurated at a ceremony on 3 October 2017, in the presence of France Marquet, Principal Trustee of the Madanjeet Singh Foundation. The Chair aims to promote the values of the UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence, to contribute to fostering a culture of inclusion, rights and citizenship, and to strengthen the values of tolerance and non-violence at universities and higher education institutions, including teacher training institutions, in Chile and Latin America. The Chairholder, Professor Francisco Javier Estévez Valencia, is the co-laureate of the 2014 edition of the Prize. Historian and the Executive Director of the Museum of Human Rights and Memory in Chile, he started his non-violent struggle for human rights and democracy during the years of the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet and became one of the well-known leaders of the democratic resistance of young Chileans.

• UNESCO Chair on Indigenous Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development at the University of Calicut Established on 18 June 2021 for studies and research on indigenous language and knowledge systems that will be a significant contribution to the endeavours of cultural conservation of indigenous communities essential for world’s cultural heritage. The mission of the proposed Chair on Indigenous Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development to be set up in the university of Calicut, Malappuram district of the state of Kerala is to attain excellence in academic quality, scholarly engagement, leadership, cultural enrichment and heritage and also the service of the tribal population of Kerala and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, which comes under the jurisdiction of the State of Kerala. The Proposed chair has an interdisciplinary focus that also recognizes the diversity of tribal communities, culture, and languages. As the proposed chair intends to include the students and research scholars from tribal communities who have graduated from the tribal institutes like Institute of Tribal Studies and Research (ITSR), the chair can ensure the teaching and research works conducted correspond to the culture of tribal communities in Kerala. The academic collaborations that Calicut University has already made with the individuals, institutions, and the various indigenous communities in Kerala as part of its remote tribal educational projects would help take account of the indigenous communities concerned in molding the modus operandi of the proposed chair.

• UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Water Resources Management in South Asia at the University of Moratuwa (UMCSAWM): The inauguration ceremony, held at UMCSAWM on November 24, 2023, was graced by Mr. Timothy Curtis, Director of UNESCO. The event witnessed the presence of UMCSAWM Vice Chancellor, faculty members, MSF Trustees, SAF Chairpersons, and the team from SAF-India and SAF Sri Lanka. The UNESCO Chair, based at UMCSAWM, is a collaborative initiative with UNESCO to advance knowledge and practices related to sustainable water resources management in South Asia. The partnership formalization was celebrated through an agreement signed between the Director-General of UNESCO and the University of Moratuwa, designating it as the hosting institution for the UNESCO Chair. The Chair is positioned within the Department of Civil Engineering at UMCSAWM, serving as a dedicated teaching and research unit. The brainchild of the Founding Director of UMCSAWM, Prof. N. T. Sohan Wijesekera, the UNESCO Chair is currently led by its Director/Centre Chairman and Academic Head, known as the Chairholder. This prestigious acknowledgement reflects SAF's unwavering commitment to training professional engineers as the region's foremost water managers. The establishment of the UNESCO Chair signifies a pivotal step towards addressing common water challenges in South Asia and promoting sustainable water resource management practices.
  
  

• UNESCO Chair on Renewable and Clean Energy for Sustainable Development: This chair is held by Prof. Arun Prasath at UMSGET ( UNESCO Madanjeet Singh School of Green Engery and Technologies), DGET, Pondicherry University:The UNESCO Chair on "Renewable and Clean Energy for Sustainable Development"  was established in UNESCO Madanjeet School of Green Energy Technologies (UMSGET) at Pondicherry University (2024-2028) to promote green and clean energy technologies. Collaborating with UNESCO, MSF, and SAF-India, the UNESCO Chair firmly commits to providing intellectual knowledge and professional training to promote renewable energy in South Asia and globally for sustainable development. Professor. R. Arun Prasath, is The UNESCO Madanjeet  Singh Chairholder. The UNESCO chair is to work with governments, schools, colleges, universities, industries, NGOs, businesses, researchers, technology developers and environmentally conscious individuals working towards the promotion/development of renewable energy technologies for sustainable development. The official inaugural function of the UNESCO Chair on “Renewable and Clean Energy for Sustainable Development” was held on 10th Dec 2024.

• UNESCO Chair Investiture Ceremony at Madanjeet Singh Institute of South Asian(UMISAA), BNU: Pioneering Inclusion through Art in Pakistan: Inaugurated on 13 December 2024 at UMISAA, MDSVAD, BNU, under the leadership of Chairholder Professor Rashid Rana, the UNESCO Chair aims to enhance the institutional capacity of the Mariam Dawood School of Visual Arts & Design, Beaconhouse National University (BNU), through its Interdisciplinary Expanded Design and Arts program. This initiative seeks to foster an innovative academic environment, encouraging the exploration of emerging issues through interdisciplinary collaboration. Its primary focus is on developing inclusive solutions that address the needs of vulnerable and marginalized communities, not only in Pakistan but also across the broader South Asian region. Given BNU's commitment to liberal arts education, it serves as an ideal setting for hosting this Chair. A highlight of the inauguration ceremony was a panel discussion led by Associate Professor Rohma Khan, Director of Programs for the UNESCO Chair. Additionally, the event featured a video message from Madame France Marquet, Trustee of the Madanjeet Singh Foundation, a key supporter of this initiative, emphasizing the Chair's global significance.

Related award  The UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence