A UNESCO Chair is a team led by a higher education or research institution that partners with UNESCO on a project to advance knowledge and practice in an area of common priority.
UNU-MERIT’s UNESCO Chair on Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development for Latin America aims to develop and strengthen science, technology and innovation policy and research in the region.
Read our UNESCO Chair’s 2022-2023 annual report here.
The Chair’s goal is pursued through research, advanced training and policy recommendations to help national and regional decision-makers, policy experts and business sector representatives develop and strengthen their capacities in science, technology and innovation (STI). The Chair also aims to support and enhance regional networks of policymakers and researchers.
Led by Professor Carlo Pietrobelli, the Chair aims to help achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, including through advanced-level teaching and policy-relevant research. Specifically, this includes:
- Identifying, discussing and socialising the main challenges regarding STI in Latin America;
- Strengthening the teaching of STI in postgraduate programs (Masters and PhD) via a network of universities in Latin America;
- The promotion and dissemination of policy-relevant research and ideas;
- Promoting the training of policymakers, students and other relevant audiences in Latin America on the themes of STI;
- Enabling deeper research- and policy-related collaboration on design, implementation and evaluation including in support of UNESCO LA Policy Lab.
This unique initiative builds on UNU-MERIT’s record of nurturing STI expertise and solidifies UNU-MERIT’s strategic partnership with UNESCO. It serves as the institute’s main gateway to engaging with national governments and universities in a number of countries in Latin America.
Professor Carlo Pietrobelli
Carlo Pietrobelli is a professor and policy advisor on innovation and industrial development and policy. His research interests range from development economics to innovation, trade and industry in developing countries. He has published widely and internationally in books, international journals and the media.
Prof Pietrobelli’s current and previous experience includes Dean of the Department of Economics and Professor at the University Roma Tre, Italy; Professorial Fellow at UNU-MERIT, Maastricht; and Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University, Washington DC.
During 2009-2016 he was a Lead Economist at the Inter-American Development Bank. He has worked on Latin American issues for many years; his network and expertise will add invaluable depth to the Chair’s activities and UNU-MERIT.
