UNESCO Chair in Transnational Challenges and Governance (930), established in 2011 at the American University, Washington, D.C.(United States of America)

Fields/Disciplines

Transnational challenges and global governance

Objectives

The specific objectives of this Chair are to:

• study the role of emerging nations in addressing contemporary transnational challenges, and help scholars and policymakers from these nations to better understand and respond to these challenges;
• launch, manage and coordinate a worldwide network called “Transnational Challenges and Emerging Nations Dialogue” (TRANSCEND), which would conduct research and capacity-building activities and benefit students, teachers, researchers, policymakers, professionals, media and NGOs through a virtual organizational structure called “TRANSCEND Collaboratory”, which would bring together institutions of Europe and North America, Asia and the Pacific, the Arab States, Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean;
• facilitate the promotion of a dialogue among civilizations, as well as cultural and educational North-South interaction, on issues of global governance, particularly regarding human rights and human security, as well as contribute to a better understanding of international and regional institutions, including the G-20 grouping;
• provide research outcomes and policy advice to the American policy community on global governance and, more specifically, on how to engage the emerging nations in global policy debates and action;
• organize conferences and workshops, as well as publish books and policy papers, on the themes of TRANSCEND (concepts and approaches to global governance, non-traditional threats and human security, multilateralism and power diffusion, governing regional worlds, ideas and the Unity of Civilizations); and,
• develop new curricula on courses around these themes and organize capacity-development workshops for selected TRANSCEND member institutions.

Host Institution

School of International Service, American University 

Event

TRANSCEND Director and UNESCO Chair Addresses UN General Assembly Debate, April 14, 2011.

UNESCO Sector/Office responsible for the Chair/Network

Social and Human Sciences

Contact

Prof. Amitav Acharya, UNESCO Chairholder

Professor of International Relations and Chair of the ASEAN Studies Center
School of International Service, American University

4400, Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C., 20016, USA
Phone: +1-202-885 3153

E-mail: aacharya(at)american.edu