Ongoing work to encourage alumni to establish GRÓ Alumni Networks presented on UNESCO Day

Ongoing work at GRÓ to encourage GRÓ alumni to establish national and regional alumni networks was presented at the annual UNESCO day, that the Icelandic National Commission to UNESCO organised in the National Museum of Iceland on the 3rd of June.

Nína Björk Jónsdóttir, Director General of GRÓ, gave a presentation about the vast network of GRÓ alumni around the world, comprising today of 1.816 individuals in more than 120 countries. All of the four GRÓ training programmes operate their specific alumni networks and maintain good relations with their alumni. The GRÓ centre is aiming to also provide the opportunity to fellows to connect across the four thematic areas, enabling them to share their expertise and acquire new knowledge. One of the aims with the GRÓ Alumni Networks is to better connect them to UNESCO in their home countries.

On the annual UNESCO Day, all entities in Iceland involved with UNESCO gathered to learn from each other and share information about their work. Other topics this year included the work of Iceland’s Permanent Delegation to UNESCO, the nomination of Icelandic swimming culture to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Iceland’s collaboration with UNESCO in language technology and linguistics, the work of the Vigdis Finnbogadottir International Centre, the other UNESCO Category 2 Centre in Icleand, the Icelandic Handicraft Association, international collaboration among UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Iceland participation in the work of the IOC, the Reykjanes UNESCO Geopark and UNESCO schools in Iceland.