UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Development and Environment

This theoretical-practical workshop "DESAFÍOS EN LA GESTIÓN INTEGRADA DE LOS RECURSOS HÍDRICOS EN EL SUR GLOBAL" will be held on December 1 and 2 at the Polytechnic Building of the Higher Technical School of Civil Engineering (ETSICCP) at the University of Granada.
Our Chair is collaborating with various academic and professional organizations and networks on this workshop, which is geared towards students, university staff, and anyone interested in learning firsthand about the challenges facing water cooperation.
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Free registration (until November 26).

After approximately ten years in development, the University of Granada (UGR) has finally launched this Master's Degree in Sostenibilidad y Gobernanza Ambiental for the 2025/2026 academic year. Its activities are supported by our UNESCO Chair , the Water Chair, and the Cívitas-UGR Chair.
The inauguration ceremony took place in the auditorium of the Carmen de la Victoria guest residence of the UGR and was attended by the program's promoters, including the former Rector of the UGR, Pilar Aranda; the Vice-Rector for Postgraduate Studies and Continuing Education, Ana María García; the Coordinator of the Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Sciences, Francisco Serrano; and Javier Ordóñez as coordinator of the new Master's program. Also participating in the event were Master's students and representatives from several public and private institutions that provide academic and financial support for some of the activities planned within this program, including the Secretary General of the Ibero-American Union of Municipalities, María García Pizarro; the Director of CIDODE, Wenceslao Martín; the Director of the Cívitas-UGR Chair, Mercedes García; and the Director of the Water Chair, Fernando Delgado.
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Since 2014, the Fundación Euroárabe, together with the Princess Alanood Foundation, has created four diplomas for students from the Arabian Peninsula, specifically the Diploma en Gestión Medioambiental y Responsabilidad Social, in which our UNESCO Chair in Sustainable Development and Environment has collaborated since its launch in 2024.
On this occasion, two seminars were given by our director, Javier Ordóñez, and our ESG expert, José Antonio González, who will focus on the "UNESCO Chair's commitment to Environmental Management and Social Responsibility" and "Good practices in ESG management in organizations", respectively.
Full program in PDF.

Our chair is participating in the VI Misión Técnica Internacional "Soluciones Sostenibles para la Gestión de Nuestras Ciudades", which will take place in Lleida and Barcelona from October 20 to 25. This event is aimed at municipal leaders and senior officials from public administrations in Latin America and the Caribbean who are interested in the development of cities of the future and their preparedness to face the new challenges of the 21st century.
Sponsored by the UIM, and as part of the module dedicated to urban environmental management (waste and water), our director will present a sector-specific lecture, sharing our experience on the role of the UNESCO Chair in Sustainable Development and the Environment in water management.
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The Women SDGs organization - MODS, in collaboration with the Department of Equality of the Granada City Council, is organizing this second meeting at the Palacio de Quinta Alegre in Granada. During this event, Sheila Villalobos, a member of our Chair and of the MODS Board of Directors, will moderate a panel discussion with international, academic, pedagogical, and social perspectives, emphasizing that education is the true driving force for transformation towards building more inclusive, sustainable, and humane societies. Our director, Javier Ordóñez, will also participate in this panel, offering a global perspective from UNESCO on education as a human right and as a tool for inclusion, peace, and social cohesion.
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Led by our director, Javier Ordóñez, we shared a day attended by members of our Advisory Board and the working team, as well as our three current collaborators: COVIRÁN, GESTCOOP and CETURSA. At this key moment for Sustainability, we shared some of our actions and, above all, presented our work plan for the immediate future, with various actions to raise awareness and disseminate information jointly with other local organizations.
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Water is a basic necessity and even a human right. A strong public interest prevails in its management, justifying the intervention of public authorities to guarantee its most basic objectives, including quality, quantity, and availability of the resource.
With the member of our Chair Asensio Navarro Ortega in the Academic Coordination, this Master's Degree aims to achieve interdisciplinary knowledge of water law in Spain and the recognition of a single legal classification: that of a state public domain asset, to guarantee a uniform treatment of the resource, regardless of its origin, surface or underground.
Registration and info.
PDF 4th edition

Through our sponsor, CETURSA, we are collaborating in this waste collection campaign in the Sierra Nevada natural environment (other collaborating entities are: La Huella Verde, Fundación CaixaBank, FAMES, FADI, Cámara de Comercio de Granada, Parque Natural Sierra Nevada y Confederación Granadina de Empresarios).
From our Chair, we invite everyone to join this collective action to protect one of our greatest treasures.

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After the strong participation in our workshop "Artificial Intelligence: A Practical Vision for Organizations" by representatives of various associations, and reiterating the need to facilitate its use in the Third Sector, we will hold a third, more practical session to familiarize them with the use of AI tools that facilitate their daily work, thus reinforcing their quality and professionalism.
The workshop will be held again at the FIDESOL headquarters on May 27, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. On this occasion, Carmen Alba, head of the FIDESOL project, and Celia Fernández, FIDESOL programmer, led the workshop, which focused primarily on practical work.
Workshop materials (1.8Mb)

Our director, Javier Ordóñez, will give a lecture entitled "Energía como catalizador del desarrollo" to open the I Congreso Nacional sobre Perspectivas Humanísticas y Sociales en la Educación, which will be held at the Centro de Magisterio La Inmaculada on May 9 and 10, 2025. The presentation will address the relationship between energy and human progress, providing an interdisciplinary perspective that connects engineering with social and educational impact.
The objective of PHSEDU 2025 is to foster dialogue among all departments and areas of knowledge to build a shared vision that promotes education for sustainability that is truly inclusive, interdisciplinary, and transformative.
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Once again this year, our Chair collaborates with the Festival Académico Crea-Innova-Educa--UGR. One of the main objectives of this festival is to facilitate academic dialogue with the Sustainable Development Goals and highlight the commitment and responsibility of educational institutions to society and the environment, in line with UNESCO's proposal: "Education for sustainable development" as a response to the urgent challenges facing our planet.

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We are organizing the course: "Artificial Intelligence: A Practical Vision for Organizations" April 1 and 3, 2025 The development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is leading to a paradigm shift in the way organizations address their challenges. However, the lack of access to AI in key sectors such as education and healthcare, especially in less developed regions, can widen the well-being gap. For third-sector organizations, such as cooperatives, NGOs, and government entities, as well as SMEs, strengthening their AI capabilities is essential.
This course will be held at the FIDESOL Technology Center, in collaboration with the HiDRALiA+UGR Chair and the three companies that are part of our Chair: CETURSA, Fundación COVIRÁN and GESTCOOP. During the course, Francisco Luis Benítez Martínez, Director of Innovation at the FIDESOL Foundation, will discuss the impact of AI on our economy and society, its ethical dimension, and how to approach its use in various sectors.
In this context, we highlight the UNESCO documents: "Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence" and "Artificial Intelligence: Do We Need a New Education?".

With 30 participants in total, the course included members of the following organizations: Aldeas Infantiles SOS, Asociación Párkinson Granada, Asociación Moviendo Corazones, ASPACE Granada, Banco Alimentos Granada, Cáritas Granada, Centro de Iniciativas de Cooperación al Desarrollo -UGR, Covirán, FAECA, FIDESOL, Fundación Agua de Coco, Fundación Albihar, Fundación Secretariado Gitano, GESTCOOP, Grupo MAMSA, La Huella Verde Granada, Proyecto Hombre, Red Madre, as well as several independent and retired self-employed workers.

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Taking advantage of Women's Month and with the intention of addressing the gender gap in science and chess, we are mixing both disciplines, which suffer from the same absence of women at a high level, through a women's chess tournament combined with scientific talks on space agriculture, biodiversity, marine geology, telecommunications and, of course, sustainability.
In addition to the usual trophies in the three categories (absolute, under16, and under12), Sheila Villalobos, from our Chair, has designed a "special prize" for each participant, consisting of a donation of unicef  vaccination kits to immunize children against polio and measles.

All of this took place at the Parque de las Ciencias of Granada. Parqueciencias
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Our director, Javier Ordóñez, and our advisor, José Antonio González (specialist on ESG), are jointly teaching part of this microcredential, specifically the section dedicated to Implementing a Sustainability Strategy in the Company. The whole course will be held at the Granada Cámara de Comercio headquarters from February 18 to April 8, 2025.
The course is designed to train professionals in key skills related to environmental management and regulatory compliance. It responds to an increasing demand for sustainability training due to the evolution of public policies in Spain and Europe, which requires the inclusion of specific criteria in public contract bidding and compliance with environmental regulations, which require a greater commitment to sustainability from companies and organizations.
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Prior to the debate, several international experts will make presentations on critical water infrastructure in times of climate change, the importance of context in the water sector, the design of water tariffs and billing, financial sustainability in domestic water service, guaranteeing water supply in cities, and digitalization in water and its human side.
Registration required, limited places.
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Throughout the classes of this course we aim to demonstrate how the interaction of agricultural biotechnology and sustainable agriculture can achieve a more sustainable balance in terms of the environment, although they may seem opposite at first glance. Specifically, aspects such as crop improvement assisted by molecular markers and the development of so-called omics methodologies can play an important role in meeting the world's food needs in a sustainable context.
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In this conference (in person and streaming) which will be held in the Salón de actos of the ETSICCP of the UGR and that the Cátedra del Agua UGR+Hidralia organizes every year, different water administrations, both state and regional, will show both their digitalization strategies and the measures to implement them.
Various entities managing the entire water cycle and technology companies in the sector will also participate, offering an open space for the exchange of experiences and the promotion of debate throughout the day.
Program.
See the whole conference at UGRmedia.

This course from the Centro Mediterráneo of the UGR proposes several tours to discover the landscapes, people and towns of the Vega de Granada that inspired Federico García Lorca in some of his most famous works.
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Cement is an essential material for the economic development of countries, given its fundamental role in the construction of infrastructure. However, its production is responsible for approximately 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. This is mainly due to the CO₂ emissions produced in the calcination process of carbonates, in industrial furnaces, at extremely high temperatures (around 1400^oC).
The decarbonization of the cement sector is key to reducing global CO₂ emissions. To meet this challenge, the sector is adopting innovative solutions ranging from the manufacture of new low-emission cements to promoting the circular economy in its processes.
The efforts include replacing raw materials with recycled alternatives, such as the use of industrial waste in cement production, and incorporating alternative fuels, reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
In addition, technologies are being developed to capture, store or reuse the CO₂ generated. These efforts not only contribute to mitigating climate change, but also promote resource efficiency and innovation in construction materials.
During the conference, which will be held at the ETSICCP of the UGR, progress in this regard will be discussed.
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Our director Javier Ordóñez and our core advisor advisor José Antonio González were invited to the closing event of the "Diploma in Environmental Management and Social Responsibility" to give lectures at the Fundación Euroárabe in Granada, on "Advances and projects that the UNESCO Chair has developed in the field of sustainability " and on "Training and development of social responsibility ESG" respectively. They shared the table with Carmen Rubio, whose intervention was about "MASAI Asphalt".
All the students of this Diploma, which lasts a total of six months, are high-level professionals from Saudi Arabia, and they seek to gain first-hand experience with professionals in the area dedicated to environmental management and social responsibility.

Within the framework of the Programa de liderazgo y gobernanza universitaria sostenible; camino hacia la agenda 2030 (PLGUS) organized by the UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean - UNESCO IESALC, and as part of the sessions with experts of the 2024 course, our director Javier Ordóñez has participated in the roundtable together with Keith Holmes (coordinator of UNITWIN-UNESCO Chairs), Lela Melon (director of the Master in European and Global Law at the Pompeu Fabra University), Javier Uceda (former rector of the Polytechnic University of Madrid and director of the University Management and Policy Chair) and Francesc Pedró (director of the UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean).
This program is part of the Liderazgo, Gestión y Formación para la Educación Superior Sostenible program developed by IESALC and its fundamental purpose is to install capacities in institutions to support their sustainable transformation process, promoting the development of capacities of the educational community, putting its capacities and international networks at its service to develop and strengthen efforts towards sustainability and quality education for all.
This workshop took place in Madrid, at the Casa de América.

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This master's degree offers comprehensive and quality legal training, both theoretical and practical, analysing in depth national and regional legislation, jurisprudence, through the most relevant and impactful cases. All this through the teaching of both theoretical classes and practical seminars and workshops, field visits, etc.
This Master's degree aims, in short, to achieve advanced and interdisciplinary knowledge of water law in Spain, capable of instructing all types of professionals related to the subject. Registration and info. PDF III edition.
Registration and info.
PDF III edition.

The course's training program aims to train multidisciplinary professionals in the direction and management of distribution companies, with special attention to food distribution, a strategic sector and therefore essential in today's society.
This training will allow the participants to specialize within a very dynamic sector with high professionalization demands. The course will prepare them in the general management of a commercial distribution company, putting the person at the center of any measure.
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The workshop is proposed as a forum for discussion and exchange of knowledge on Environmental, Social and corporate Governance.
The main purpose of this workshop is, through the presentation of local case studies, to deepen the understanding of how organizations can effectively integrate ESG principles into their corporate strategies, as well as explore the practical implications and challenges inherent in this process.
Workshop on ESG: poster

Within the framework of the MatEduca project, which aims to show high school students what research is happening at the Institute of Mathematics of the University of Granada IMAG, GestCoop will give a talk entitled "Making data-based decisions: the power of maths in our hands". Students from two schools will attend this MatEduca event.
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The “Mundo Diverso” Magazine, granted by the Center for Development Cooperation Initiatives (CICODE) of the University of Granada, has been created by people who have enjoyed mobility aid to carry out international development cooperation activities.
The experiences included in this issue were conducted by fourteen university community members to engage in international volunteering and participate in activities contributing to the completion of final degree projects (TFG) or Master's final projects (TFM) in the field of International Development Cooperation.
Revista Mundo Diverso vol. 9 (2024).

Groundwater experts debate the sustainable management of groundwater, comparing experiences in California and Andalusia.
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We collaborate in the conference "Challenges and Opportunities of the Reuse of Regenerated Water" organized by Hidraulia .
The conference will analyce, among other topics, the new Water Reuse Regulation and the experiences and challenges in production, irrigation as well as legal aspects and treatment strategies, for the integration of regenerated water.
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Within the framework of this Festival, an activity will be carried out that aims to reflect on the report published by UNESCO entitled: “Reimaginar juntos nuestros futuros: un nuevo contrato social para la educación”. This document aims to open a global debate on how education should be rethought in a world of increasing complexity, uncertainty and fragility and recognizes the power of education to provoke profound change.
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Our Chair participates in this Meeting mainly devoted to topics such as the transformation of higher education, the work plans of the UNITWIN Networks of Spain and the role of these chairs in university life.
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