Research & Innovation Authority
רשות המחקר והחדשנות
مكتب الأبحاث والابتكار
Bezalel Academy of Arts and Desgn Jerusalem takes an active part in the UNESCO Chair program which involves over 850 institutions in 120 countries.
The program asks to promotes international inter-university cooperation and networking to enhance institutional capacities through knowledge sharing and collaborative work.
The purpose of the Chair is to lead and promote theoretical and applied research across the spectrum of art, architecture and design and their interaction with other fields while maintaining an ethical and socially responsible approach within the community.
The UNESCO Chair initates and takes part in international conferences, researches and workshops while initating global and local research and activities.
UNESCO Chair 2023-2024 Progress Report
UNESCO Chair 4 year programme 2025-2029
UNESCO Chair in Urban Design and Conservation Studies at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Jerusalem
Chair holders and members
Prof. Arch. Els Verbakel is Head of the School of Architecture, Head of the Bachelor's Program in Architecture, and UNESCO Chair co-holder at Bezalel for Urban Design and Conservation Studies.
Prof. Arch. Mike Turner is the UNESCO Chair co-holder at Bezalel for Urban Design and Conservation Studies,Special Envoy to UNESCO, and a leading figure in the global discourse on urban heritage in all its aspects as part of sustainable development.
Dr. Elad Persov, an expert in sustainable design management, Elad is a lecturer and researcher who founded and led the Design Management track at Bezalel's Master's Program in Industrial Design.
He has represented Bezalel internationally, published research, and advanced sustainability initiatives, including leading the Bezalel Space for Sustainable Development.
Arch. Adi Sela Weiner, a lecturer at the School of Architecture and the Visual and Material Culture Program at Bezalel, coordinates the 3rd periodic report to UNESCO on World Heritage on behalf of the Israeli Committee for UNESCO and Bezalel (National Focal Point).
Articles and Reports
Annual Reports of the UNESCO Chair for Urban Design Studies and Conservation submitted to UNESCO.
Articles and papers published by UNESCO Chair members.
1984 | conservation in Jerusalem - The Heritage List
1992 | Places - Conflict of the Earthly and Heavenly Jerusalems
2003 | The Dynamics of Cities - The Dynamics of Cities
2003 | World Heritage In Israel
2005 | The Tentative List & World Heritage Sites in Israel
2005 | The architectural dimension- Contemporary architecture and high rise constructions as a contextual challenge
2007 | Prehistoric Sites in Regional Context
2008 | On Buffs and Buffers
2008 | Push project
2008 | UNESCO Round Table - Protecting important views
2010 | The Cross-Cultural City cultural diversity in World Heritage Cities
2010 | The perception of urban space as landscape from site to space and scape
2010 | UNESCO in Jerusalem and a possible role in the search for peace
2014 | Disaster preparedness and the aftermath
Research and Studies
Research projects undertaken through national, European or international institutions.
Chair Activities
Networks and collaborations
Urban Heritage Conservation in Higher Education Institutions International Network for Education, Research and Action (UHC-HEI Network) Framework
