KATHMANDU: UNESCO has appointed Dr. Dhiraj Pradhananga, Associate Professor and Head of the Department at Tri-Chandra Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, as the UNESCO Chair in Mountain Cryosphere and Water.

The chair is hosted by the Department of Meteorology at Tri-Chandra Multiple Campus under the Institute of Science and Technology, and falls under the prestigious UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme, which was launched in 1992 and now comprises approximately 1,100 chairs and 50 networks across 130 countries.

In the role, Dr. Pradhananga will promote an integrated system of research, teaching, and training alongside community engagement, and will facilitate collaboration between internationally recognised researchers and teaching staff at the host institution and partner institutions nationally, regionally, and globally.

Among his immediate priorities, Dr. Pradhananga is expected to meet with the UNESCO National Commission, the UNESCO Chair in Education, the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme Committee, and the UNESCO Science Sector to identify priority areas and develop action plans. He will also initiate the formation of a consortium for the upcoming International Conference on Gender and Technology 2027, and co-develop activities promoting UNESCO's Recommendation on Open Science while building on existing citizen science initiatives.

During a recent meeting with Jaco du Toit, UNESCO Representative to Nepal, Dr. Pradhananga discussed areas of collaboration anchored in global frameworks including the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences and the Call to Action on closing the gender gap in science.

The UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme supports UNESCO's work across education, natural and social sciences, culture, and communication, bringing together academia, civil society, local communities, and policymakers to address pressing global challenges.