The Director-General of UNESCO, Khaled El-Enany, has appointed Professor Qun Chen (China) as the Assistant Director-General for Education. A distinguished academic, physicist and education specialist, Professor Chen brings more than 30 years of combined academic and executive leadership experience to the Organization.
Professor Chen began his career as a science scholar at East China Normal University (ECNU), a leading research institution with over 2,500 faculty members and 45,000 students, including more than 5,000 international students from over 100 countries. Appointed a tenured professor at a remarkably young age, he went on to hold senior leadership roles at the university, serving as Vice-President from 2003 to 2012 and as President from 2012 to 2018. In this capacity, he led the development of the International Education Park, strengthening partnerships with universities worldwide and welcoming more than 600 inbound exchange students annually.
He had also held a UNESCO Chair in Teachers Education (2012-2017) at ECNU and since 2021 he has been the Chair of the Governing Board of UNESCO Teacher Education Center, fostering international academic cooperation and contributing to the training of large cohorts of international teachers.
From 2017 to 2023, Professor Chen served as Deputy Mayor of Shanghai, China, before becoming Vice-Chairman of the Shanghai Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. In these roles, he oversaw key portfolios, including education, social and legal affairs, contributing to the advancement of Shanghai’s education system and played a key role in the establishment of UNESCO’s international Institute for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (IISTEM). Holder of a PhD in Physics, Professor Chen is globally recognized for his contributions to scientific research and interdisciplinary sciences.
Professor Chen will join UNESCO’s new Senior Management Team, supporting the Director-General in transforming education systems and advancing equitable, inclusive and high-quality learning, while equipping learners worldwide with the most advanced skills, for the benefit of people and peace.
Prof. Chen attended the inauguration of UNESCO-TEC in Novermber 2022
Prof. Chen chaired the 3rd UNESCO-TEC governing board meeting in October 2023
This article was originally published on UNESCO official website on April 3 and last updated on April 4, 2026:
