The UNESCO Chair of Bergamo, founded in 2004, is a centre for training and research.

The activity of Bergamo's Chair lies within the framework of the UNITWIN (University Twinning and Networking) / UNESCO Chairs' program, created by UNESCO in 1992, with the aims of promoting training and research and of encouraging cooperation between universities and the circulation and the integration of knowledge among countries.
In particular, the suggestions of the UNESCO General Director concerning the new strategic guidance of UNITWIN and UNESCO Chair program of March 9^th 2007, were adopted during the 176^th division of the Executive Council in April 2007. They highlight that UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks should not only represent Think-Tanks, but they should also become "bridge-builders", links between Academic community and civil society. Training and research activities of UNESCO Chairs should promote and spread knowledge within communities they work with, in order to enable them to influence political decisions.
In this regard, the General Director's suggestions state that "beyond the traditional functions which include teaching, training, research and action in favour of communities, the new generation of UNESCO Chairs and Networks will be asked to fulfil these new criteria:

1. joining a main field of the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs' program
2. joining an existing network or a systematic group related to one of the main fields
3. providing concrete evidence of durability
4. owning a North-South and/or South/South cooperation dimension (art. 11).

"The adoption of this strategic approach and of the corresponding criteria will contribute to enhance the interaction between UNESCO and Network Chairs, hence facilitating their participation in the conception, in the construction and in the evaluation and activities of the programs of the Organization. They will provide the Organization with study groups, linking research and civil society, researchers and decision makers" (art.12).