UNESCO Chair
Qatar University (QU) is distinguished among higher education and research institutions at both regional and international levels mainly in directing research towards achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). QU has recently announced in a press conference the establishment of a new UNESCO Chair in Desalination and Water treatment at the Center for Advanced Materials within the UNESCO program, which was launched in 1992. This is the second chair hosted by QU, which previously announced the establishment of the UNESCO Chair in Marine Sciences at the Environmental Science Center.
The UNESCO program aims to encourage cooperation between universities and research institutions as well as facilitate the exchange of research experiences and the transfer of knowledge in various academic fields through the joint work of researchers in various universities in the world. The UNESCO Chair in Desalination and Water Treatment is the first of its kind in the
Gulf region under UNESCO Chair and UNITWIN programs. It will contribute to addressing one of the biggest challenges in the Arabian Gulf, which is water security by finding sustainable technological solutions to better adapt to the issue of drought and climate change in the region.
It is based on cooperation with more than 30 universities and organizations from 15 countries in the region, and internationally, including Texas A&M University-Qatar, Qatar Electricity and Water Company, Sultan Qaboos. University in Oman, University of Ottawa in Canada, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Technical University of Berlin, University of South Africa, Ahmed Bello University in Nigeria, Istanbul Technical University in Turkey, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, University Technology Sydney, University Technology Malaysia, and Aligarh Muslim University, India. The UNESCO Chair was established in the Water Technology Unit under the Center for Advanced Materials at Qatar University based on the approval of the UNESCO Office. The launch of the UNESCO Chair for Water Desalination and Treatment comes within the framework of cooperation and partnership between QU and the Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture and Science in order to enable and support governmental and non-governmental institutions and agencies in the country to take full advantage of the programs, activities and experiences offered by its partners in regional, Arab and international organizations. This is in addition to strengthening the role of the State of Oatar in international, regional and Islamic forums by contributing to the Commission's wark areas and achieving effective local and global partnership.
