The UNESCO Chair in Interpretation and Education for Enhancing Integrated Approaches to Heritage, established at the University of Primorska in 2021, has this week received confirmation from UNESCO Headquarters in Paris of a renewed mandate, based on its four-year activity report.

The new mandate will begin in 2026 and continue until the end of 2029. The Chair holder remains Prof. Dr Irena Lazar, while the co-holder of the Chair in the new mandate is Assist. Prof. Dr. Neža Čebron Lipovec.

Based at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Primorska, the Chair participates in the faculty’s teaching activities across first-, second-, and third-cycle study programmes and is involved in numerous national and international projects. Its members are actively engaged in the Transform4Europe (T4EU) alliance, particularly within WP7 and WP4, where they lead the Transformation Lab on Critical Heritage.

Each year, the Chair organises traditional international summer schools in museology and heritage, attracting students and early-career professionals from around the world. The Chair holder represents all Slovenian UNESCO Chairs within the Slovenian National Commission for UNESCO, and the Chair currently also serves as their coordinator.

In the new mandate, the Chair will continue to deliver its well-established programmes and activities, while further expanding its network through collaboration with other UNESCO Chairs, networks and centres worldwide, as well as with the UNESCO Office in Venice, its long-standing partner. At the beginning of 2026, the Chair will once again host all five Slovenian UNESCO Chairs at a professional meeting.

In teaching, we will focus on delivering the Faculty’s study programmes taught in English: Cultural Heritage, Anthropology, and, from 2026, Archaeological Heritage of the Mediterranean and Heritage Tourism. In research, alongside ongoing projects and the Heritage research programme, we will continue our involvement with E-RIHS.si and the SloveNile research group.