#NonExecutiveDirector
Professor Colin McInnes
Chair of the UKNC Board of Directors and Head of the Finance Committee
Colin McInnes is responsible for the UK National Commission for UNESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Portfolio; and is the lead author of its papers setting out recommendations for reform of the World Social Sciences Report and on the UNESCO Chairs programme.
Colin has vast experience as defence advisor, having worked as a lecturer in the Department of War Studies at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst; visiting Research Fellow at the Centre for Defence Studies, King’s College London; and Special Adviser to the House of Commons Defence Committee. His research interests cover many aspects of global health and
International Relations, but especially the security dimensions of
HIV and AIDS, global health governance and global health
diplomacy.
He was elected Chair of the UKNC in 2019 and works closely with the British government, UNESCO designations and UNESCO HQ in Paris. In 2017 he received the Special Achievement Award at the inaugural Wales Social Research awards, for his ‘outstanding personal achievement in research’.
Professor McInnes has published widely, initially on strategy and security and more recently global health politics. His book, Spectator Sport War: The West and Contemporary Conflict, was a Choice ‘Outstanding academic title’. The wider impact of his work was rated 4* in the 2014 REF, for which he was also a panel member and he is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and of the Royal Society for the Arts.
Alongside his role at UNESCO, he also holds a chair in Aberystwyth University’s Department of International Politics and is the University’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research. He is currently advising both Public Health Wales and the InterAction Council (an NGO consisting of over 40 former Presidents and Prime Ministers still active in influencing world events) on global health issues.

#Institution
University of Aberystwyth
Pro Vice-Chancellor- Research, Knowledge Exchange and Innovation
SINCE 2007
#Alma-Matter
#Role at UNESCO
Chair and Non-Executive Director of the UK National Commission for UNESCO
SINCE 2019
QUOTE
Colin McInnes
Liaising with the UK’s Permanent Delegation to UNESCO and approved by HM government, our Non-Executive Directors help steer the direction of the UK National Commission for UNESCO, and are each responsible for overseeing a particular field of UNESCO’s work in the UK.
ROLE AT UNESCO
Colin McInnes is Chair and Non-Executive Director of the UK National Commission for UNESCO and is responsible for its Social and Human Sciences Portfolio.
Institutions
UK National Commission for UNESCO
Chair and Non-Executive Director
FROM 2014
University of Aberystwyth
Pro Vice Chancellor, Professor of International Politics
RESEARCH, KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE AND INNOVATION
House of Commons Defence Committee
Special Adviser
Role at UNESCO
Chair and Non-Executive Director of the UK National Commission for UNESCO.
SINCE 2019
COMMISSION
The UK National Commission for UNESCO
ESTABLISHED 1946 – LONDON, ENGLAND

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) is the United Nations body responsible for coordinating international cooperation in education, science, culture and communication. The UKNC is a hub for all UNESCO-related matters in the UK, and the Board of Directors take part in formulating and regularly reviewing the strategic aims of the commission.
Publications
SELECTED PUBLISHED WORK
Read about some of Colin’s work, projects and groundbreaking research.

Old wine in new bottles? Use of twitter by established UK news media during the 2014-15 West African Ebola outbreak.
2018
#GlobalEbola
How did three UK media sources use Twitter during the 2014–2015 Ebola crisis? Here, Colin examines the balance between factual reporting and opinion in order to provide commentary on the news.

Reflecting on Ethics in the Investigation of Online Communication during Emergencies.
2018
#UrgentHealthcare
The use of social media to communicate in cases of emergencies has gained
more and more importance in recent years. Here, Colin examines the ethics and methodology surrounding reporting and civilian social media engagement through web and social media.
LATEST
QUOTE
#MoreExperts
RELATED EXPERTS
Meet the UK National Commission for UNESCO Accredited Experts
#InternationalPolitics #GlobalHealth

Sheila McLean
ACCREDITED EXPERT
#Bioethics
Professor Sheila McLean, OBE and Professor Emerita of Law and Ethics in Medicine at the University of Glasgow, is an Accredited Expert representing the UK on UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Bioethics Committee.
RELATED CHAIRS
Read more about our related Chairs in Culture and Freedom.

Chair in New Media Forms of the Book at the University of Bedfordshire
PROFESSOR ALEXIS WEEDON
#Communication
Professor Alexis Weedon leads a vast programme of projects, publications and events that examine how forms of collaborative authorship can break down assumptions and change publishing practices.

Chair in Refugee Integration through Languages and the Arts at the University of Glasgow
PROFESSOR ALISON PHIPPS
#Education
Led by Professor Alison Phipps, the Chair’s team of six is pioneering a series of research projects, residencies and events which place language and the arts at the heart of refugee integration.

Chair in Cultural Property Protection and Peace at the University of Newcastle
PROFESSOR PETER STONE
#HeritageProtection
The UNESCO Chair team at Newcastle tries to reduce this damage by working with the heritage, military, and humanitarian sectors to plan to conserve heritage during peacetime, as well as ensure its protection during conflict and following natural disaster.
FULL LIST
A global network of universities that carry out research to address pressing challenges and contribute.
*by alphabetical order
Our advisors are experts in their field who provide advice to the UK National Commission for UNESCO by reviewing applications for UNESCO designations, prizes and patronage, and contribute to other aspects of our work.
#Man&Biosphere #Science
#GlobalGeoparks #Science
#GlobalGeoparks #Science
#CreativeCity #Communication
#CreativeCity #Communication
#MemoryoftheWorld #Culture
#WorldHeritage #Culture
#WorldHeritage #Culture
#BlueShield #CulturalProtection
All our accredited experts are selected to advise the UK National Commission for UNESCO on policy matters related to UNESCO. They are approved by HM government to represent the UK in UNESCO committees, commissions and programmes.
#IHP #Science
#IPDC #Communication
#IHP #Science
#IOC #Science
#IOC #Science
#Bioethics #Social&HumanScience
#UnderwaterCulteralHeritage #Culture
#SESAME #Science
#AI #TuringCenter #Science
UNESCO Chairs are based within Institutes for Higher Education and specialise in specific research fields. They provide policy advice to the UK National Commission for UNESCO and HM government, as well as reviewing UNESCO applications.
Liaising with the UK’ Permanent Delegation to UNESCO and approved by HM government, our Non-Executive Directors help steer the direction of the UK National Commission for UNESCO, and are each responsible for overseeing a particular field of UNESCO’s work in the UK.
#Chair #HumanSciences
#Vice-Chair #Culture
#Communication&Information
#NaturalSciences
#HigherEducation
#Education
JOIN THE NETWORK
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EXPLORE FURTHER
Our 🎓 Accredited Experts are one of four pillars that form the structure for our 🕸️ Expert Network. Meet our 🪑 Chairs, our 🔮 Advisors, and our 🧭 Non-Executive Directors
click on the links above