UNESCO has approved two new UNESCO chairs proposed by China—the UNESCO Chair on Science-Enabled Smart and Innovative Cities at Harbin Institute of Technology and the UNESCO Chair on Stepwise Ecological Restoration of Watersheds at North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power. China now hosts a total of 37 UNESCO chairs/UNITWIN networks.

Launched in 1992, the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme aims to build global networks among higher education and research institutions, promote interdisciplinary research, training and cooperation, and facilitate knowledge sharing and capacity building, to help address increasingly complex global challenges.

The UNESCO Chair on Science-Enabled Smart and Innovative Cities will advance the integration of artificial intelligence with urban science, enhance research and knowledge sharing on global urban governance, and strengthen capacity for sustainable urban development. The UNESCO Chair on Stepwise Ecological Restoration of Watersheds will promote research and knowledge sharing on the ecological restoration of degraded watersheds, support science-based restoration approaches to improve global water security, and enhance climate resilience.