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UNESCO Chair in ICT to develop and promote sustainable tourism in World Heritage Sites 

Our Mission

Established in September 2013, USI UNESCO Chair is committed to perform research and teaching on how Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and digital media in general, can be effectively used to develop and promote sustainable tourism at World Heritage Sites (WHSs).

More information here.

Winter School 2026

The 2026 edition of USI UNESCO Chair Winter School, titled “Taste the past. Digital media for Byzantine heritage and authentic experiences in Northern Greece”, took place from 7 to 14 February 2026 in Thessaloniki and Kastoria (Greece).

More information here.

Master in International Tourism

Università della Svizzera italiana offers a Master in International Tourism (MIT), run by the Faculty of Economics in collaboration with the Faculty of Communication Sciences. The USI UNESCO Chair is deeply involved in this Master, through teaching, research, internships and theses opportunities.

Open Access Chapters

We are happy to announce the publication of the Handbook on Heritage, Sustainable Tourism and Digital Media, edited by Silvia De Ascaniis and Lorenzo Cantoni, published by Edward Elgar: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788970082.

More information here.

The Making of a Masterpiece

An online exhibition curated by the UNESCO Chair (USI) presenting "le vêtement de Don Nicola Mazza", a richely embroidered Catholic garment from the 19th century. The exhibition highlights its craftsmanship and the social mission behind its production.

Explore the exhibition here!

PhD Thesis Defense Marta Pucciarelli @ USI

Nov 12, 2019 | ,

On Monday the 11th of November 2019, Marta Pucciarelli, defended her PhD thesis on "The Digital Birth of an African City. The Case of Douala". The dissertation examines the online representation and communication of Douala, which is the largest city of the Republic of...

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UNESCO Chair @ Erasmus+ Kick-off meeting

Nov 4, 2019 | ,

On Friday, 25.10.2019, members of the USI UNESCO Chair met their colleagues from the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow (Poland), Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung in Eberswalde (Germany) and the University of Novi Sad (Serbia) to...

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