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Launched in 1992, the UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks programme seeks to foster international cooperation and knowledge sharing between higher education institutions. Similarly, UNESCO launched Category II Centres in 2009.
A UNESCO Chair is a team within a higher education or research institution that partners with UNESCO on a project to advance knowledge and practice in an area of common priority. A UNITWIN Network is a partnership between UNESCO and a network of higher education or research institutions (at least three institutions in different countries, at least two of which must be located in the Global South) which pool their competencies and resources around particular theme(s).
Each UNESCO Chair or UNITWIN Network in the UK has a formal ‘Lead’ academic who must be a Professor within the higher education establishment.
Category II Centres contribute to the execution of UNESCO’s programme through the exchange of information in a particular discipline; theoretical and experimental research; and advanced training. They are under the auspices of UNESCO but are not legally part of the organisation.