In 2001, the 31st General Conference of UNESCO created the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education as a Category I institute of UNESCO through Resolution 31 C/47.

In 2003, UNESCO-IHE was effectively established by signing of the Seat Agreement between UNESCO and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Operational Agreement between UNESCO and the Dutch Ministry of Education and the Cooperation Agreement between UNESCO and the IHE Delft Foundation.

The agreements include internal rules that guarantee a large degree of functional autonomy.

Governing Board and IHE Delft Foundation Board

• The Governing Board comprises representatives of ministries, universities and the private sector, all appointed by the Director-General of UNESCO.
• The IHE Delft Foundation provides all staff and facilities to UNESCO-IHE. It is chaired by the IHE Delft Foundation Board.

Rectorate

The Institute is led by the Rectorate. This leading body consists of the Rector, the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, and the Business Director.

• András Szöllösi-Nagy, Rector
• Stefan Uhlenbrook, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs
• Greet Vink, Business Director

Academic Departments

53 Percent of the 166 staff members are responsible for the education, training and research programmes. All work in one of UNESCO-IHE's three Academic Departments.

Academic Departments are led by a Head of Department who is an academic at the rank of a full professor. In order to provide a healthy and timely leadership change, as well as to ensure that the Department Heads will be able to return to full academic work, these positions will be of finite duration and rotating on the basis of a three-year cycle with a maximum of two sequential periods of serving as Head of department, i.e. a maximum of 6 years.

Departments are managed using an integrated management approach, in which the day-to-day resource management of the Department is performed by the Deputy Head of Department, who works closely with the Head of Department to achieve the objectives of the Department. Similarly to the working method of the Rectorate, the Departments will be managed through a high degree of delegated responsibility and authority.

Process Management Units

Central Services (CS)
The activities of the Central Services unit focus on student and PhD services and facilitation (events, front desk, facilities, student and participant stay and housing, reproduction and documentation), procurement (travel and stay, excursions, restaurant, etc.) and operation and maintenance of the Institute facilities.
Staff CS

Education Bureau (EB)
The Education Bureau is the focal point for organising the educational programmes and the coordination of the processes of innovation in education and quality management. The bureau is responsible for education planning, coordination and administration. It provides guidance in change processes such as for more flexible programmes, involvement of partner organisations, credit transfer, etc.
Staff EB

Finance
Finance prepares annual and periodic financial reports and analyses, and the annual budget. It also maintains internal control over financial transactions and resources, expenditures for budgetary accounts, the receipt and disbursement of funds, and provides centralized accounts receivable processing and control. The department coordinates and controls purchasing functions.
Staff Finance

Human Resource Management (HRM)
Human Resource Management is responsible for the development and implementation of the Institute’s policy on human resources and organisational development. It supports and advises all departments and the Director on the various issues within the integrated personnel management. P&O is also responsible for the personnel and salary administration and provides information on (internal) rules and regulations.
Staff HRM

IT
IT is responsible for all IT related facilities and activities at UNESCO-IHE.
Staff IT

Office of the Rector (OR)
The Office of the Rector provides policy and administrative support to UNESCO-IHE’s Rectorate and Governing Board, as well as to the Academic and the Forward Planning Boards. It is responsible for public relations, communications and marketing, including events coordination. The Office of the Rector is the focal point for project acquisition, providing support and advice to the academic departments in their acquisition and project implementation activities.
Staff OR

IHE Delft Foundation Board

Chair:

• W.J. (Wim) Deetman, the Netherlands

Members (alphabetical order):

• W.J. (Wim) Kuijken, the Netherlands
• A. (Annemieke) Nijhof, the Netherlands
• L. (Louis) de Quelerij, the Netherlands

Governing Board

Chair:

• F. (Fritz) Holzwarth
  Deputy-Director General of Ministry of Environment, Nature Protection and Nuclear Safety
  Germany

Members (alphabetical order):

• Abdalla Abd Alsalam Ahmed, Sudan
  Director General of UNESCO Chair in Water Resources, Sudan
• A. (Abel) Afouda, Benin
  Head of IHP Committee Benin
• Avinash C. Tyagi
  International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID)
• O. (Ognejen) Bonacci, Croatia
  Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture - Split University
• C. (Claudio) Caponi, Venezuela (observer)
  World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
• M. (Maria) Cornejo de Grunauer, Ecuador
  FIMCM/ESPOL
• T. (Tineke) Huizinga-Heeringa, the Netherlands
  International Governing Board Delta Alliance
• T. (Tomoharu) Hori, Japan
  DPRI, Kyoto University
• W.J. (Wim) Kuijken, the Netherlands
  Delta Programme Commissioner
• R.J. (Richard Jose) Lino, Indonesia
  President Director Indonesian Port Corporation II
• L. (Louis) de Quelerij, the Netherlands
  Dean Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology
• A.M.A. (Abdin Mohamed Ali) Salih, Sudan (observer)
  Director of the Division of Water Sciences, and Secretary of the International Hydrological Programme (IHP) of UNESCO
• J. (John) Verbakel, the Netherlands
  Vice-President Supply Chain, Unilever

Governing Board Documents

GB-2011-0622-annex 01 - report of GB meeting 25 nov 2010 (245.46 kB)

Notes

1.) Source: UNESCO-IHE Annual Report 2011