The Wuppertal Declaration
The UNESCO Chair for Entrepreneurship and Intercultural Management welcomed more than 75 representatives from 17 nations to the first international UNESCO Chair Conference in Wuppertal in early December. The participants were invited by Prof. Dr. Christine Volkmann and the German Commission for UNESCO, who jointly hosted the conference in Wuppertal. The conference was sponsored by the German Federal Foreign Office.
The three-day conference was entitled "Linking Education, Transdisciplinarity and International Partnership – UNESCO Chairs for a sustainable future". Representatives of the UNESCO Chairs were joined by leaders from business, politics and sustainability initiatives to discuss the contribution of UNESCO Chairs to the 17 sustainability goals of the United Nations. Manifold best practice examples provided a good basis for expanding and strengthening the work of the UNESCO Chairs. In the future, international collaborations as well as innovative research, transfer and teaching formats will be even more in focus to solve global challenges. Core statements and results of the UNESCO Chair Conference were incorporated into the "Wuppertal Declaration". The declaration includes recommendations to political actors, as well as objectives such as increasing the visibility of the work of UNESCO Chairs, more effective dissemination of scientific findings and greater involvement of social actors. The "Wuppertal Declaration" is available online. "
We, as actors in the network of UNESCO chairs, see it as our responsibility to contribute with our unique profile and our expertise to overcome global challenges in the context of the sustainability goals of the United Nations. The conference in Wuppertal has demonstrated how much potential and commitment exists in our network," said Prof. Dr. Christine Volkmann summarizing the conference.
The first international UNESCO Chair Conference will not be the last. It is planned to be repeated every two years. International partners and social representatives will be closely involved in the next conference, which is scheduled to take place in Jena in 2021.
