University of Porto achieves UNESCO Chair for environmental protection in Africa

Porto University (U.Porto) is the holder of UNESCO Chair for environmental protection of projects in Africa, as announced in U.Porto news website.

This Chair relates to the development of a collaborative network of research and education projects in six African countries in the fields of biodiversity conservation and the management of natural resources and natural heritage.

U.Porto selecting to the establishment of this UNESCO Chair is the result of the application submitted by the CIBIO-Centre for Research in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Porto, which has proposed to widen the scope of network partnerships with research centres and universities from South Africa, Angola, Cabo Verde, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

The Chair UNESCO is themed 'Life on Land' and will last for four years, beginning January 2018 and budgeted at around 2.2 million euros. Nuno Ferrand, scientific coordinator of CIBIO-InBIO, will be governing the Chair.

U.Porto considers this Chair an important instrument as to help address environmental concerns and promote the wise use of natural resources for sustainable development in the African continent.

This Chair was first established in 1992, titled UNITWIN - UNESCO Chairs Programme and promotes international inter university cooperation.