Overview of the Chair
This UNESCO Chair is a research and teaching unit at the University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland, and at the Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha, South Africa.
- UNESCO Chair Holder is Prof em Dr Uwe Pühse (Switzerland). He is appointed to lead the activities of the Chair.
- UNESCO Co-Chair Holder is Prof Dr Cheryl Walter (South Africa).
It is part of the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme, which was launched in 1992 by decision of the UNESCO General Conference. Its aim is to promote and strengthen international cooperation, especially North-South, South-South and North-South-South cooperation between universities, colleges and research institutions. In this network, higher education and research institutions pool their human and material resources to address urgent challenges and contribute to the development of society. In many cases, the networks and chairs serve as think tanks and bridge builders between academia, civil society, local communities, research and policy.
We focus on a range of topics surrounding 'Physical Activity and Health in Educational Settings'. The Chair is established by an agreement between UNESCO and the University of Basel. It was installed in April 2019 and reviewed by UNESCO in 2023 and extended for a further four years until 2027.
- Switzerland currently hosts 8 UNESCO Chairs.
- They were all established by agreements with the UNESCO and contribute to UNESCO's goal of promoting exchange among academic institutions.
- UNESCO Chair in 'Children, Youth and Civic Engagement' (2008); the National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland. More details
- UNESCO Chair in the 'Development of Youth through Sports Activities' (2012); Korea Institute of Sport Science (KISS), Seoul, Korea. More details
- UNESCO Chair in 'Inclusive Adapted Physical Education and Yoga' (2012); Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, Coimbatore, India. More details
- UNESCO Chair on 'Transforming the Lives of People with Disabilities through Physical Education Sport, Fitness and Recreation' (2013); Institute of Technology, Tralee, Ireland. More details
- UNESCO Chair on 'Training and Empowering Human Resources for Health Development in Resource-Limited Countries' (2014); University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy. More details
- UNESCO Chair on 'Global Health and Education' (2018); University of Clermont Auvergne, Paris, France ( more details), and Osaka University, Osaka, Japan. More details
- UNESCO Chair on 'Youth Leadership in Science, Health, Gender and Education' (2019); Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya. More details
- UNESCO Chair on 'Health Education and Sustainable Development' (2019); University Federico II of Naples, Naples, Italy. More details
Researchers from Nelson Mandela University and University of Basel presenting the UNESCO Chairs projects at a joint conference
Training of teachers on a workplace based health and well-being intervention aimed at teachers health: KaziHealth
Scientists, students and research staff working to implement and research KaziKidz at the Nelson Mandela University
Teacher coaches conducting a workshop for teachers on the use of the KaziKidz toolkit
Physical Education lesson based on the KaziKidz toolkit held at a primary school in Gqeberha
Health and nutrition lesson based on the KaziKidz toolkit held at a primary school in Gqeberha
Health and Hygiene lesson based on the KaziKidz toolkit held at a primary school in Gqeberha
KaziKidz Physical Education lesson at a primary school in Gqeberha
KaziKidz Physical Education lesson at a primary school in Gqeberha
Sport scientists introduce teacher coaches to the KaziKidz toolkit at the Nelson Mandela University
Teacher coaches getting a first hand experience on a KaziKidz lesson
Sport scientists introduce teacher coaches to the KaziKidz toolkit at the Nelson Mandela University
Two Physical Education teaching and learning books produced by the UNESCO Chair Team
This link will take you to the KaziKidz Pre-Primary Book (324 pages): Teaching Material for Physical Education - A School Readiness Programme: Resources for Pre-Primary Teachers - Namibian Edition, supported by UNESCO.
This link will take you to the KaziKidz Foundation Phase (Grade 1-3) Book (405 pages; short version): Teaching Material for Physical Education - Resources for Foundation Phase Teachers (Grade 1-3), supported by UNESCO.
This link will take you to the KaziKidz Book Foundation Phase (Grade 1-3) Book (590 pages; full version): Teaching Material for Physical Education - Resources for Foundation Phase Teachers (Grade 1-3), supported by UNESCO.