The UNESCO International Institute for STEM Education was officially inaugurated in Shanghai on Sunday, marking the first establishment of a UNESCO Category 1 Institute in China.

In November 2023, the 42nd session of the UNESCO General Conference unanimously adopted a resolution to establish the Shanghai institute. It is the 10th Category 1 Institute globally and the first outside Europe and North America.

The institute's functions include promoting education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics across all stages from early childhood to adulthood, with a focus on providing inclusive, equitable, relevant and high-quality STEM education for all.

Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng welcomed the official establishment of the institute. He said it is the first Category 1 Institute jointly established by China and UNESCO, calling it a major milestone in cooperation and the result of joint efforts between China and UNESCO member states.

China is committed to fulfilling its promises to the international community, Huai said, adding that the country will work with others to foster innovation and support the institute as a source of advanced STEM concepts, a testing ground for educational ideas and an international platform for promoting educational transformation, technological innovation and sustainable development.

Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng said the city will take the establishment of the institute as an opportunity to strengthen the cultivation of sci-tech talent, enhance public scientific literacy, advance high-level opening-up in education and accelerate efforts to build Shanghai into a hub for international STEM education development.

Shanghai will fully support the institute and contribute to global educational reform, innovation and the realization of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, he said.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said Shanghai, with its concentration of knowledge, scientific innovation and historical heritage, provides a first-class venue for the institute.

Azoulay said the establishment of a Category 1 Institute in Shanghai carries a broad vision and extraordinary significance. She said the institute will promote STEM fields, advance global educational equity and help countries address shared challenges.

Even before the resolution for the new institute, the UNESCO Teacher Education Center, a Category 2 Institute at Shanghai Normal University since 2021, has been supporting global STEM education.

In 2022, the university and UNESCO launched the "Go to Global South: Shanghai International STEM Education Volunteer Project", which aims to address urgent educational challenges in the Global South by offering training to teachers. It has trained more than 600 potential and current teachers so far.