TRANSFORMING KNOWLEDGE FOR FAIR AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

On November 3, 2022 an international conference dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the UNESCO UNITWIN/Chairs Programme on the topic “Transforming Knowledge for Fair and Sustainable Future” took place in Paris (France). The conference was attended by members of the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Program, permanent Missions to UNESCO and National Commissions for UNESCO, universities and partner organizations.

The UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Program, founded in 1992, is an inter-sectoral network for mobilizing and sharing the experience of higher education institutions to solve complex inteconnected development tasks. It promotes international inter-university cooperation and networking to enhance institutional capacity through knowledge sharing and collaboration. The 850 university departments and research networks of UNITWIN from more than 110 countries represent a unique resource for scientific cooperation at the national, regional and global levels.

This conference is dedicated to the achievements of the Program over the past three decades and promotes genuine interdisciplinary dialogue and inter-sectoral mobilization necessary to solve complex global challenges. The main objectives of the conference are activation of interdisciplinary cooperation and stimulation of new research projects.

The conference is attended by the head of the UNESCO Department for Sustainable Development of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, PhD Bazarabeva T. A., PhD of the Department Kozhakhan A. K., UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay, French Minister of Higher Education and Research Sylvie Retailleau, President of Fundación Cultura de Paz (Madrid) and former Director General of UNESCO (1987-1999) Federico Mayor Zaragoza, Professor of the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa) Akille Mbembe are speaking at the plenary session.

A working meeting was held between representatives of the UNESCO Department for Sustainable Development of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Head of the Department Tursunkul Bazarbayeva and Associate Professor of this department Aigul Kozhakhan with Adviser to the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan to UNESCO Rysbek Alibekov. During the meeting, the parties discussed issues of expanding cooperation between the university and UNESCO within the framework of the UNITWIN program.

Kairzhan TUREZHANOV