Global honor of the Research Institute for Earth Sciences in winning the first UNESCO Chair in the field of earth sciences in the country on Coastal Geo-Hazard Analysis
Hamid Nazari
The final approval of the first UNESCO Chair in the field of geosciences on Coastal Geo-Hazard Analysis on December 3, 2021 with the ref. ED / FLI / 21/160 by the Education sector of the UNESCO was officially announced to the Research Institute for Earth Sciences (RIES), Geological survey of Iran (GSI) for a period of four years (renewable) under the chairmanship of Dr. Hamid Nazari (Chair holder).
In accordance with the procedure for applying for a Chair in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) the supportive proposal entitled:
Persian Carpet: Coastal Geo- Hazard Analysis: (Persian Gulf, Oman Sea and Caspian Sea)
From the RIES as the academic arm of the GSI and according to the agreement and announcement of comprehensive financial and operational support of the former heads of the GSI and the RIES in November 2018 and the efforts of the colleagues in the international affairs of the GSI were presented to the National Commission for UNESCO in Iran.
The process of evaluating and approving UNESCO Chairs is always time consuming and has special technical complexities at the international level that in this particular case coinciding it with the pandemic of COVID 19 and the country's managerial shifts was further aggravated.
so that the application process took two years until the approval and from the approval until its final notification by the National Commission for UNESCO in Iran on December 8, 2021 in letter No. 1794/17 took one year more too.
Considering the international background and research nature of the activities of the GSI and the existence of a unique educational-research platform such as the RIES in its structure, obtaining a UNESCO chair as a national honor in the world shows the ability and high scientific position of the Research Institute and the Geological Survey.
The RIES which was established in 1994 with the permission of the High Council for the Development of Postgraduate Studies of Iran, has accepted more than 400 undergraduate and doctoral students in 23 courses until 2018 from national exam.
In addition to educational activities, RIES conducts many applied national and international projects in geology such as Active Tectonic/ Paleoseismology and Natural hazard assessment, Paleoclimate and environmental geology, Mining exploration and design and preparation of new protocol for integrated server-based thematic mapping.
Nevertheless, a proper understanding of this great event in obtaining the UNESCO Chair, given the international and structural capabilities of the UNESCO Chair/ UNITWIN network in structural reconstruction, development and modernization, can be a turning point in Scientific guidance and blowing the spirit of hope in the body of the Iranian geological community.
UNITWIN is the abbreviation for the university twinning and networking scheme. This UNESCO programme was established in 1992, in accordance with a resolution adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO at its 26th session (1991). The UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme consists of the establishment of UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks in higher education institutions.
This UNESCO programme serves as a prime means of building the capacities of higher education and research institutions through the exchange of knowledge and sharing, in a spirit of international solidarity. Thus, it promotes North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation as a strategy to develop institutions. These institutions work in partnership with NGOs, foundations and public and private sector organizations and play an important role in the field of higher education. The UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme opens avenues for the higher education and research community to join forces with UNESCO to contribute to the implementation of its programme and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
The UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme covers training, research and exchange of academics and offers a platform for information sharing in all fields within the competence of UNESCO. The majority of the projects are interdisciplinary and intersectoral and involve all the programme sectors of UNESCO, with the active cooperation of its field Offices, Institutes and Centres. National Commissions play an important role by helping to promote the programme nationally, facilitating its execution and evaluating its impact. Because it is totally ultidisciplinary in nature, the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme is one of the Organization’s most intersectoral programmes. Relevance, anticipation and effectiveness are among the prime goals of the UNITWIN Programme. So far UNESCO Chair and UNITWIN Network projects have proven useful in establishing new teaching programmes, generating new ideas through research and reflection, and facilitating enrichment of existing university programmes while respecting cultural diversity.Because of the nature and flexibility of the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme, universities can respond more readily and with greater autonomy to the demands for new learning and research in a world undergoing rapid economic, social and technological change. The Guidelines and Procedures for the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme constitute a set of basic rules to be followed in order to maximize the benefits of the programme. The Guidelines and Procedures aim at clarifying and defining the criteria and procedures governing the establishment and functioning of a UNESCO Chair or UNITWIN Network.
