The Director of the UNESCO Chair in Tourism and Sustainable Economic Development at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Carmelo León, participated in the First Meeting of UNESCO Chairs in Greece, held in Alexandroupolis on June 5–6, 2026, under the theme “Academic Diplomacy as a Vehicle for Advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals for 2020–2030.”
The event brought together the 17 UNESCO Chairs based in Greece, as well as the UNESCO Chair on Intersectoral Safety for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience at the University of Udine, Italy, represented by Dr. Petra Malisan.
During the meeting, important avenues for collaboration were established among the UNESCO Chairs in the fields of science, culture, education, the environment, technology, and socioeconomic development. These initiatives will strengthen international cooperation through academic diplomacy, centered on UNESCO’s core values of culture, science, peace, harmony, and coexistence among human societies through the arts and shared knowledge.
The meeting was chaired by Ms. Inga Nichanian, Head of the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme, Future of Learning and Innovation, Education Sector, UNESCO.
Professor León con Mss Nichanian (left) and Dr. Malisan (right).