Montreal, November 28, 2019 – The Canadian Commission for UNESCO (CCUNESCO) recently highlighted the important role of the Canadian UNESCO Chairs. There are 27 UNESCO Chairs in the country and 700 Chairs in the 127 UNESCO member states. These thematically structured Chairs, which center their activity around planetary and urgent issues, build bridges between universities, civil society, local communities, researchers and decision-makers. For the Canadian Commission for UNESCO (CCUNESCO) the 27-UNESCO-Chair network is “an incubator for excellence and innovation that aims to achieve UNESCO objectives, promote North-South and South-South cooperation, establish new teaching programs, and accomplish effective and exemplary programs and initiatives.” In this respect, CCUNESCO mentions the case of the UNESCO Chair in Urban Landscape of the University of Montreal and its sources of funding, namely the Fonds recherche du Québec (FRQ) and the donation from Sid Lee Architecture (SLA), a private firm, which will enable it to reach the objectives of its 2019-2024 strategic plan.

Photo caption: Sébastien Goupil, Secretary-General of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO during the reception of the Sid Lee Architecture donation.

Photo credit: © Benjamin Seropian