UNESCO: Vice-President at MOST-Programme
Following the extension of his UNESCO Chair on Anticipatory Techniques and Future Design until 2030, Michael Shamiyeh, university professor and director of the Center for Future Design, has also been elected to the intergovernmental UNESCO Council for the Management of Social Transformation for the next four years. He will serve as Vice-President during this period.
Bridging Research and Policy-Making
The decision to elect Austria, represented by Michael Shamiyeh, to the Intergovernmental Council of the Management of Social Transformations (MOST) Programme was taken unanimously by all 194 member states at the UNESCO General Conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Together with experts from all over the world, Michael Shamiyeh will focus in the coming years on permanently strengthening the interface between research and politics in order to enable governments to better understand social change and make political decisions based on scientific findings. Central to this are issues such as migration, social inequality, social cohesion, and the consequences of climate change for communities.
“Today, we are facing profound changes that open up new opportunities for progress, but also pose significant risks to people and the environment. That is why it is more important than ever to support the program's mission and strengthen the bridge between research and policy-making,” says Michael Shamiyeh, head of the Center for Future Design at the University of Art and Design Linz.
Michael Shamiyeh, Head of the Center for Future Design and UNESCO Chair in Future Design, with UNESCO Director of Social Policy Gustavo Merino Juárez at the General Conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
© UNESCO Chair on Anticipatory Techniques and Future Design
Ernst-Peter Brezovszky, Chief of the UNESCO Unit at the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA), emphasizes: "The election of Michael Shamiyeh to the international committee for the management of social change is a great recognition of his visionary work and a significant success for the University of Art and Design Linz. His active and responsible involvement in shaping social change is particularly underscored by his work as UNESCO Chair and will have a wider impact in his new role. We are proud to be setting the tone for a sustainable future with this international voice from Linz."
Sabine Haag, President of the Austrian UNESCO Commission, explains: "The climate and biodiversity crisis, technological upheavals, and social inequalities call for courageous, evidence-informed policies. Never before has it been more urgent to translate knowledge into effective action. The Intergovernmental Council of the UNESCO program ‘Management of Social Transformations’ strengthens this bridge. Michael Shamiyeh will represent Austria on this committee in the future—we congratulate him warmly! The election is a strong signal for Austria's contribution to a socially and ecologically responsible shaping of our future."
