Established in 2012, the UNESCO UNITWIN Network for Underwater Archaeology brings together University programs, research centers, and museums dedicated to increasing capacity and enhancing the protection of underwater cultural heritage.  In October of 2021, KUDAR and Koç University were admitted as an Associated Member to the UNITWIN Network.

Membership in the UNITWIN Network gives KUDAR, and its associated researchers and students, a presence within UNESCO and in a forum that combines individuals in the public and private sectors, education, research, and policy regarding the protection and study of underwater cultural heritage.  It expands KUDAR’s research profile, it is an opportunity to coordinate with the UNESCO Secretariat for the 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, and to work with 40 other members around the world.  We are very excited for the potential and future that this new association with the UNITWIN Network represents, and we are looking forward to the next annual meeting in Paris, in 2022.