Objectives of the Chair
A UNESCO Chair is an international network of higher education institutions that partner with UNESCO to advance scientific findings and practical skills in areas of global importance.
UNESCO Chair in Responsible Global Management
The UNESCO Chair for Higher Education, Research, and Innovation in Responsible Global Management (the UNESCO Chair in Responsible Global Management for short) promotes education with the aim of jointly shaping a more sustainable future through responsible global management.
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Promoting new scientific knowledge on the topic of responsible global management
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Developing innovative models, methods and tools for management practices in the economic, political and social spheres (local, regional, national, international).
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Revisiting together programs and contents of higher education for the responsible management in order to develop up-to-date and future-oriented learning offers.
Vision of the Chair
A global society that shapes a sustainable future through responsible management.
Mission
Promote new scientific knowledge, responsible global management and future-oriented collaboration methods.
Our offer
We are an interdisciplinary, intercultural, and international team committed to a more responsible approach to the tangible and intangible aspects of cohabitation and collaboration at local, regional, national and international level. Our values are: dialogue, inclusion, respect, critical thinking, and creativity - for the benefit of people and the planet.
We offer:
- Research cooperation (basic and applied)
- Educational cooperation (from BA level onwards), (Co-)Supervision of MA and PhD projects
- Mentoring (understood as counselling, coaching, and training)
- Lectures and presentations
- Internships
Partners and team
The UNESCO Chair at BFH has an interdisciplinary remit. It is based in the Business School (Institute for Marketing & Global Management) and operates on an interdepartmental basis. It is led by Professor Pia Stalder in close cooperation with Professor Malika Abentak and Professor Kalidou Seydou Sy.
The Chair currently consists of a partnership of 12 higher education and research institutions, six in Europe (Switzerland, France, Romania, Denmark) and six in Africa (Morocco, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Kenya).
Professor Pia Stalder: Chairholder
Professor Pia Stalder
Chairholder
E-Mail
Pia Stalder is Professor for Responsible Global and Intercultural Management at Bern University of Applied Sciences’ Business School, Institute for Marketing & Global Management. The goal of her research, teaching, and consultation activities is to strengthen interdisciplinary, intercultural, and international communication skills. These skills are the key to respectful, peaceful and hence successful collaboration across physical and mental boundaries.
Professor Malika Abentak: Co-Coordinator Morocco
Professor Malika Abentak
Co-Coordinator Morocco
E-Mail
Malika Abentak has a doctorate in information and communication sciences. She is based in the Faculty of Legal, Economic and Social Sciences in Agadir. She teaches written communication, personality development and soft skills. Her academic research focuses on the use of mobile technologies, particularly podcasts. She has supervised several dissertations and published a number of papers on the use of digital technologies in different fields.
Professor Kalidou Seydou Sy: Co-Coordinator Senegal
Professor Kalidou Seydou Sy
Co-Coordinator Senegal
E-Mail
Kalidou Seydou Sy qualified as a research supervisor in language sciences (semiotics) at the University of Limoges and has a doctorate in comparative literature from the University of Cheikh Anta DIOP in Dakar.
His research and publications focus primarily on the creation of meaning in complex environments in order to establish a situated theory of meaning (not to say an African theory of meaning). He is director of the Groupe de recherches en Analyse des Discours Sociaux (GRADIS) and publisher of the KONNGOL-Gradis journal for discourse analysis. Kalidou Sy works for several national and international bodies on questions of social innovation and anthroposemiotic mediation. He is a professor at Université Gaston Berger in Saint-Louis, Senegal.
Action plan
Strategic anchoring
The UNESCO Chair for Higher Education, Research, and Innovation in Responsible Global Management is consistent with the Agenda 2030 (UN), the Agenda 2063 (AU), the Swiss foreign policy «Africa Strategy» and with the strategic thematic fields of BFH.
The activities and projects of the new Chair will contribute in particular to the following UNESCO initiatives:
Upcoming events
26-28 June 2025, Luzern: SIETAR Conference 2025 «Intercultural Leadership»
The BFH team is contributing to the event with an interactive session: «Responsible Global Management: From Theory to Practice»
9-10 April 2026, Agadir, Morocco: Responsible Global Management for Sustainable Peace and Development
Call for Papers
Template Papers