Gisbert Glaser (born 1939, German citizen) is trained as a geographer (doctorate in geography from the University of Heidelberg, 1965). In January 2002, he became a Senior Advisor on science for sustainable development and UN system cooperation to the ICSU Executive Director. He was a member of ICSU’s Advisory Committee on the Environment (ACE) from 1992 to 1996.

After having started a university career (1965 to 1971 at Heidelberg University, including altogether one year of postdoctoral field research in Brazil), Dr. Glaser joined UNESCO in Paris in 1972. He has worked in different assignments at UNESCO up to 2001 when he retired with the rank of Assistant Director-General, responsible for UNESCO’s programmes in the natural and engineering sciences. The scope of his assignments at UNESCO ranged from directing specific components within the Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme in the 1970s and 1980s to strategic assignments later-on (e.g. coordinating UNESCO’s follow-up to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development -Rio, 1992).