About UNESCO Chair for Culture, Habitat & Sustainable Development - India in Srishti Institute of Art, Design & Technology (N5 Campus), Bangalore

Dr. Geetha Narayanan, founder-director is now the UNESCO Chair holder for the next two years of the term, from 2016 to 2018. Earlier this position was held by Dr. Jyoti Hosagrahar from 2014 onward, who will be on leave from the institution for next two years.

The UNESCO Chair at Srishti, an institutional initiative, is established with the vision of deepening the relevance of cultural heritage, natural environments, and their relationships with human habitation. The immediate activities are focused towards identifying and strengthening the interconnections between the tangible and the intangible, as well as between the creative practices in towns and human habitats, in and around heritage sites. Through such a comprehensive understanding, the Chair intends to conceive and engage with innovative, inclusive and sustainable design strategies to protect cultural and environmental heritage in today’s urban landscapes.

The larger outcomes of such initiatives would be to contribute to policy making in relevant areas, adaption of regional assets, enhancement of creative practices, expert training systems and socio-economic development in the identified local groups.

The institution has identified five major focus areas for research and intervention namely,
•Bengaluru Metropolitan
•Hoysala region
•Deccani region
•Coastal Karnataka
•Western Ghats

Programmed under different academic initiatives, these places will serve as ‘living labs’ where students and professionals from diverse backgrounds will collaborate to further UNESCO’s vision and mission. Thereby, the Chair shall aim to conduct research and document approaches to develop, innovate and adapt cultural assets so as to contribute to sustainable development while retaining their core values, especially in World Heritage Sites.

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