On September 21, 2025, marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UNESCO International Institute for STEM Education (UNESCO IISTEM) was officially established in Xuhui Binjiang, Shanghai. Following nearly two years of preparation, the institute has been formally completed. It is the 10th Category 1 Institute established by UNESCO worldwide and the first global Category 1 Institute in the Asia-Pacific region, signifying a major step forward in China’s cooperation with UNESCO to advance global educational collaboration and sustainable development.
On the morning of the same day, Chen Jining, Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee, met with Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO. Huai Jinpeng, Minister of Education, attended the meeting. The two sides agreed to take the establishment of the institute in Shanghai as a new starting point to further expand cooperation in education, science, technology, culture, and other fields. They will actively build various platforms and carriers, expand channels for activities, promote people-to-people exchanges and cultural mutual learning among countries, especially young people, jointly address AI education governance, and advance the development of the Creative Cities Network.
Subsequently, Huai Jinpeng, on behalf of the Chinese government, and Azoulay signed the Host Country Agreement and Operational Agreement for the UNESCO International Institute for STEM Education.
At 11:20 a.m., a grand inauguration ceremony for the UNESCO International Institute for STEM Education was held, presided over by Xie Dong, Vice Mayor of Shanghai. Huai Jinpeng, Minister of Education; Gong Zheng, Mayor of Shanghai; and Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, attended the ceremony and delivered speeches.
Huai Jinpeng stated that the International Institute for STEM Education is the first Category 1 Institute established through cooperation between China and UNESCO, and its founding represents a significant historical milestone in bilateral cooperation. It also stands as a testament to their joint efforts to promote open science, open education, and cultural exchanges, and will play an indispensable supporting role in global sustainable development. He expressed gratitude to the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government for their strong support in the institute’s preparation. He emphasized that China will earnestly fulfill its commitments to the international community, collaborate and innovate with other countries, and support the institute to become not only a source of advanced STEM education concepts and a testing ground for educational ideas but also an international cooperation platform for driving educational reform, technological innovation, and service to sustainable development. This, he noted, will make substantive contributions to advancing global sustainable development and building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Gong Zheng noted that Shanghai is currently deepening the construction of an international science and technology innovation center, acting as a national pacesetter in line with the strategic vision of President Xi Jinping. He stated that Shanghai will take the establishment of the International Institute for STEM Education as an opportunity to strengthen the cultivation of scientific and technological innovation talents, enhance the scientific literacy of the whole society, and advance high-level opening-up in education. The city will accelerate efforts to build itself into a hub for international STEM education development, promote a positive cycle of education, technology, and talent, and provide strong support for enhancing the city’s function and core competitiveness. Shanghai, he added, will fully support the institute’s development and make active contributions to advancing global educational reform and innovation and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Azoulay said it was a great honor to witness this historic moment in Shanghai. She noted that Shanghai, with its concentration of intellectual wisdom, scientific innovation, and historical heritage, has provided a first-class home for the International Institute for STEM Education, and expressed deep gratitude for the support from all parties. Highlighting the long-standing cooperation between UNESCO and China, she emphasized that the establishment of this Category 1 Institute in Shanghai is a visionary and significant endeavor. The institute will join UNESCO’s global network of Category 1 institutes to advance STEM science, promote equitable global education development, and help countries address common human challenges.
The Teacher Education Centre under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO TEC), a UNESCO Category 2 Institute based in Shanghai, has made sustained efforts in the preliminary preparation, program demonstration, and exchange cooperation for the International Institute for STEM Education. The Research Institute for International and Comparative Education, Shanghai Normal University, a key think tank among Shanghai’s universities, has been fully involved in professional consulting and research work for China’s bid to host the Category 1 Institute since 2018, drawing on its long-term research on international educational organizations. Both the Centre and the Institute provided expert and intellectual support for the establishment of the International Institute for STEM Education, witnessing its journey “from zero to one.”
Partial Photos | Teacher Education Centre under the auspices of UNESCO / Research Institute for International and Comparative Education
