The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has officially launched its International Institute for STEM Education in Shanghai, marking a historic milestone as the first UNESCO Category 1 institute established in China. This initiative represents a significant step forward in global collaboration in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.

Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng, Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng, and UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay attended the inauguration ceremony and each delivered a speech. Minister Huai signed the Host Country Agreement and Operational Agreement with UNESCO on behalf of the Chinese government, formally outlining the institute’s mission and operational framework.

Huai extended congratulations on the establishment of the institute and expressed appreciation to Shanghai’s municipal government for its support. He emphasized that the institute represents both the deepening of China’s long-standing partnership with UNESCO and a collective achievement of UNESCO member states. He noted that as part of UNESCO’s global network of Category 1 centers, the institute will play a vital role in supporting sustainable development worldwide.

“We are committed to working with partners worldwide to make this institute not only a birthplace of innovative ideas in STEM education, but also a platform for advancing educational transformation, scientific progress, and sustainable development,” Huai said. “Through joint efforts, we hope it will make a substantive contribution to building a more inclusive and interconnected global community.”

Gong Zheng highlighted Shanghai’s strategic vision to become a global center for science, technology, and education. “The establishment of this institute will bring new energy to talent cultivation, public scientific literacy, and international cooperation,” Gong said. He pledged the city’s full support for the institute’s growth, adding that Shanghai aims to become a global leader in STEM education.

Audrey Azoulay praised Shanghai as an ideal location for the institution, citing the city’s vibrant intellectual community, scientific innovation capacity, and cultural heritage. She said that it was a historic moment and that the institute would join UNESCO’s global network of Category 1 centers to advance STEM education, promote equitable access to quality learning, and help societies address humanity’s shared challenges.

The ceremony was chaired by Shanghai Vice Mayor Xie Dong, with UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education Stefania Giannini also in attendance.

The decision to establish the institute was adopted by consensus at the 42nd session of the UNESCO General Conference in November 2023. The institute is UNESCO’s 10th Category 1 institute worldwide, and the first located outside Europe and North America.

The Shanghai-based institute will focus on promoting STEM education across all stages of learning, from early childhood through adulthood. Its mission is to promote inclusive, equitable, and high-quality opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.