On 14 October 2026, The Small Earth Nepal (SEN) had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Inger E. Måren, UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Heritage and Environmental Management at the University of Bergen, Norway, for a productive meeting with Dr. Dhiraj Pradhananga, UNESCO Chair in Mountain Water Sustainability at the University of Calgary and the UNESCO Chair in Mountain Cryosphere and Water at Tribhuvan University, to discuss opportunities for strengthening collaboration between the UNESCO Chairs of Nepal and Norway in the areas of climate change, sustainable heritage and mountain sustainability.
A key agenda of the meeting was the potential of establishing a UNITWIN (UNESCO Chairs) Network, bringing together academic institutions and partners around a shared thematic focus on climate change, sustainability and mountain environments, recognizing it as a strong foundation. Discussions explored pathways for developing a formal network, including engagement with the National Commissions for UNESCO in Nepal and Norway and regional academic partners.
Recognizing climate change as a common area of interest, the two Chairs discussed possibilities for joint research, knowledge exchange, and academic collaboration. Conversations also highlighted prospects for broader collaboration between the University of Bergen, Tribhuvan University, and The Small Earth Nepal, creating opportunities to connect research, education, and community engagement across countries, including joint research and field-based work in the Kanchenjunga landscape.
The meeting marked an important step toward partnership between the UNESCO Chairs of Nepal and Norway, with a shared commitment to fostering academic partnerships and creating opportunities for collaborative research, knowledge exchange, and capacity building.
