Teacher Education Centre under the auspices of UNESCO (TEC) is a key international teacher education institution established by UNESCO, which is also the first UNESCO Category 2 education institution based in Shanghai. In November 2017, the 39th session of the UNESCO General Conference approvedthe establishment of TEC in Shanghai, China. Following four years of planning and development, TEC was officially inaugurated and began operations on October7, 2021.
(Photo| Inauguration Ceremony of UNESCO-TEC)
“Better Teachers, Better World”.TECaims at promoting the development of teacher education worldwide, with a particular focus on supporting developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region and Africa to improve education systems and teacher capacities.
TEC is committed and strives to be a service provider, standard setter, and a research and resource management centre in the global field of teacher education, thereby contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) under the United Nations 2030 Agenda.
TEC performs four functions: knowledge production, capacity building, technical services, and information sharing. Through sustained efforts, it has achieved notable practical outcomes.
1. Knowledge Production: Developing Global Public Goods
Supported by universities, research institutesand experts, TEC conducts research on basic education and teacher education, develops education and teaching, management and evaluation, and disseminates innovations in education research.
“Share Math” Repository
In response to the global pandemic and the challenges of education digitalization, TEC collaborated with leading primary and secondary school teachers in Shanghai to develop the International Mathematics TeachingRepository for Primary and Secondary Schools. This was successfully registered under the trademark “Share Math”.
Global Report on Teachers 2024
TEC played a substantial role in the preparation, translation, and first Chineserelease of UNESCO’s inaugural Global Report on Teachers, providing critical theoretical foundations for teacher policy formulation worldwide.
Photo| Global Report on Teachers 2024(Chinese&English)
2. Capacity Building: Delivering Cross-Cultural Teacher Training
Through multiple training programs, TEC strengthens the capacities of basic education and teacher education institutions, including the provision of research seminars, workshops and training in basic and teacher education for policymakers, teacher trainers, and senior head teachers and teachers of member states and UNESCO agencies.
The Teacher Capacity Building Programme for the Belt and Road Countries
Since 2023, TEC has continuously implemented teacher capacity building programmes for countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. In 2025, the Centre successfully organized three training sessions, attracting education researchers from multiple countries.
Photo |Opening Ceremony of the 2025 Belt and Road Teacher Development Exchange Project
Tanzania Mathematics Teacher Professional Development Program
Based on the development needs of basic education in Tanzania, TEC participated in the organization and implementation of a specialized program for education policymakersand mathematics educators in Tanzaniawith the Tanzania Institue ofEducation(TIE).
3. Technical Services: Sharing Chinese Experience and Solutions
Leveraging ICTs and expert networks, TEC provides professional services in basic education and teacher education to countries worldwide, particularly developing countries in the Asia-Pacific and African regions.
InternationalSTEM Education Volunteer Project
TEChas launched the Shanghai International STEM Education VolunteerTeam, sending volunteers to countries such as Tanzania, Indonesia and Brazil to deliver STEM teacher trainingand field study.
Photo| STEM Education Volunteersin Dar es Salaam Schools in 2024
Technology in Education: Southeast Asia:
TEC contributed to the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report titled “Technology in Education: Southeast Asia”, providing exemplary case studies showcasing the digital transformation of education in China.
4. Information Sharing: Building an Educational Community
TEC maintains close cooperation with UNESCOheadquarter, regional offices, national commissions, Category 1 institutions and other Category 2 centres, to share advanced theories, experiences, approaches and good practices of various nations in teacher policy, pre-service training, in-service training and professional development.
Supporting for the Establishment of IISTEM:
TEC team undertook key preparatory tasks, including drafting official documentation for the establishment of a UNESCO Category 1 institution, and participated in witnessing the official launch of UNESCO IISTEM in Shanghai.
Institutional Partnerships:
TEC’s partners include UNESCO InternationalTask Forceon Teachers, UNESCO Beijing Cluster Office, UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok, UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, and Shanghai Normal University.
Editors YOU Jiaqi,FEI Jiayi
