Eberswalde Institute for Biosphere Reserves is a UNESCO Cat-2 Institute

Following the unanimous decision of the UNESCO General Conference in November 2023, on 19 June 2024 in Paris, the contracts for the patronage of the World Organisation over the Biosphere Reserves Institute (BRI) of the Brandenburg Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE) were signed by the Ambassador of the Permanent Mission of Germany to UNESCO, Kerstin Pürschel, as Plenipotentiary and her deputy Dr Axel Küchle and by the UNESCO, represented by the Director-General Audrey Azoulay and by the President of HNEE, Matthias Barth.

Brandenburg's Science Minister Dr Manja Schüle: "What great news: UNESCO is taking over the patronage of the Institute for Biosphere Reserves at Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development! The HNEE is often referred to as 'Germany's greenest university' - but it is much more than that: it develops solutions for the pressing questions of a sustainable way of life and economy - practical, research-orientated and forward-looking. Last year, the German UNESCO Commission's Sustainability Award was deservedly honoured for this. The Institute for Biosphere Reserves now has the patronage of UNESCO for a unique concept: the Institute for Biosphere Reserves is offering the first English-language Master's programme on biosphere reserves worldwide. My recommendation: If you want to make a concrete contribution to a more sustainable world, simply come to Brandenburg and study at HNEE. Because solutions for the future are being developed here."

The patronage was agreed at Germany's request and is valid for eight years. The state of Brandenburg provides significant support for this cooperation. It was made possible jointly by the German UNESCO Commission and the Ministry of Science, Research and Culture of the State of Brandenburg with important preparatory and development work - in particular by the Innovation and Career Centre (IKC) "ProBioLaB" at HNEE, which is funded by the Future Programme for the Universities of Applied Sciences of the State of Brandenburg.

The signing seals the official recognition of the BRI as a Category 2 institute. University President Prof. Matthias Barth: "For me, the personal signing of the contracts by the Director General is a special honour for the work of our colleagues at the BRI and a sign of the importance that UNESCO attaches to this institute. This shows how seriously the topics of biosphere reserves, sustainability, education and research are taken and how much UNESCO expects from our work here."

An international steering committee will be set up for the institute to help shape its work in future and integrate it even better into the international research landscape. Now officially categorised as a UNESCO Cat 2 institute, the BRI will continue its ongoing successful work. Examples of this work include important conferences and projects such as

• EuroMAB, the biennial meeting of European and North American UNESCO biosphere reserves. 2024 with representatives from 41 countries with over 300 UNESCO biosphere reserves, to which the BRI actively contributed a few days ago,
• TRANSECTS: The TRANSdisciplinary Education Collaboration for Transformations in Sustainability - a network in which members of the BRI are currently organising workshops,
• the globally unique international Master's degree programme in Biosphere Reserves Management, the application phase of which is currently underway.

The directors of the BRI, Prof. Martin Welp, Prof. Carsten Mann and Prof. Jan-Peter Mund, are grateful for the international recognition: "As the Board of Directors of the BRI, we are grateful for this international recognition and it is a special honour for us to be able to continue our successful work as a UNESCO Category 2 institute."

From the founding board of directors, which also included Prof Pierre Ibisch, Prof Vera Luthardt sees the quality of the work confirmed: "Our idea was and is to support biosphere reserves as model regions for sustainable development. By being recognised as a UNESCO Category 2 institute, the BRI will play a key role in the networking and information exchange of biosphere reserves in an international context, coordinate research on the pressing challenges facing biosphere reserves even better and be able to expand the transfer of research findings into the practical management of biosphere reserves."

The BRI

The Biosphere Reserves Institute at HNEE was founded in 2019 and has been offering the first English-language Master's programme on biosphere reserves worldwide since 2020, as well as a doctoral programme on the topic in cooperation with Leuphana University Lüneburg. The institute's scientists conduct research into the importance and impact of biosphere reserves and offer further training on model regions for sustainable development.

The Institute supports Germany's long-standing commitment to UNESCO biosphere reserves, which is supported by the Federal Government, the German Commission for UNESCO, the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, the German Society for International Cooperation and the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, among others.

Background
UNESCO biosphere reserves are internationally representative model regions. They preserve biological diversity and functioning ecosystems as the basis for sustainable economic and social development. The focus is not only on protection, but also on the appropriate utilisation of established cultural landscapes. Only the relatively small core zones are strictly protected. In the remaining areas, the biosphere reserves test sustainable utilisation concepts and promote nature-compatible forms of economic activity. Biosphere reserves are managed on the basis of scientific findings. This is where the work of the Eberswalde Institute comes into play, which is committed to science and research in and with biosphere reserves.

About the UNESCO Category 2 Institute

What is a "Category 2 Institute under the auspices of UNESCO" (C2C)?

It is a centre of excellence that works within the UNESCO areas of competence and was designated as such by a resolution of the UNESCO General Conference. Its work is intended to contribute to the realisation of the UNESCO programme through international and regional cooperation, research, knowledge production, policy advice and capacity building. It enjoys legal autonomy in its national context and is linked to UNESCO through formal agreements. C2Cs are not part of UNESCO, although they may legally use the UNESCO name and logo.

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