UNESCO Chair Women, Development and Cultures
Management of the Chair
Director: Mònica Rius-Piniés
ADHUC—Centre de Recerca Teoria, Gènere, Sexualitat
Universitat de Barcelona
Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 585, E-08007 Barcelona
T. (+00 34) 934035655
- UNESCO code: 636
- Year of creation: 2003-
- Fields: Women, Development and Cultures
- Host institutions: Universitat de Barcelona / Universitat de Vic
- UNESCO sector: Social and Human Sciences; Bureau of Strategic Planning
- Type of chair: UNITWIN NETWORK
Objective
To promote an integrated system of research, training, information and documentation activities in the field of gender, development and cultures. To facilitate collaboration between high-level internationally recognized researchers and the teaching staff of the Universities and other institutions, mainly in Catalonia, Spain and Europe, and other regions of the world.
Main Goals and Thematic Fields of Activity
The UNESCO Chair Women, Development and Cultures-UB specifies its functions in the following goals and thematic fields, which are carried out within the lines of action of ADHUC—Research Center for Theory, Gender and Sexuality (UB):
Main Goals
- To carry out research on women and gender, and to transfer its results.
- To organize conferences and seminars on the field of study of gender, sexuality and cultural criticism.
- To organize and to collaborate in teaching activities in higher education degrees, masters and doctorates on Women, Gender and Sexuality studies.
- To establish international relationships and to promote academic exchange and cooperation at the national and international levels.
Thematic Fields of Activity
- Studies and publications about women and gender as part of funded research projects.
- Diffusion of results at conferences, as well as in scientific journals and other publications. The most notable of which include the journal Lectora. Revista de dones i textualitat and the “Mujeres y culturas” series (Icaria Editorial).
- Series of Lectures on Gender and cultural criticism and on Women writers, university extension and summer courses, Barcelona Seminar and international conferences and seminars.
- Training in women’s and gender studies: courses at undergraduate, masters and doctoral levels at the UB (particularly the masters and PhD in Construction and Representation of Cultural Identities–CRIC).
- Academic exchange and cooperation on topics related to gender with universities and centers of women’s and gender studies in Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Poland and the UK), North Africa (Morocco and Tunisia), America (Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, the United States and Canada).
Summary of the Chair's Past Activities
The UNESCO Chair Women, Development and Cultures began its activities in 2004, with a shared headquarters between the Universitat de Barcelona (UB) and the Universitat de Vic. The management and planning of activities is coordinated by the Centre Dona i Literatura - Gènere, sexualitat, crítica de la cultura at the UB and, since 2016, by ADHUC. Marta Segarra was its director until September 2015, and Elena Losada Soler from September 2015 until October 2018.
Since its creation the functions of the chair, in accord with the objectives and thematic fields of activity, have focused on the research and diffusion of studies on women, gender and sexuality through the analysis of cultural discourses such as literature, cinema, philosophy, history and art.
Future Prospects of the Chair
Since its creation the UNESCO Chair Women, Development and Cultures has outlined its own objectives and thematic fields of activity giving weight to the promotion of gender studies, as well as the theoretic reflection on gender and the community, while at the same time increasing university academic exchange and cooperation links.
The future prospects of the chair are centered in guaranteeing an equilibrium between research and training, as well as awareness, diffusion and transference of results of the research. Strengthening international relations is also a high priority.