The High-level Expert Symposium and the First Governing Board Meeting of the UNESCO International Institute for STEM Education (IISTEM) were held on 14 May in Shanghai, bringing together leading international experts, scientists, educators, and policymakers to advance global cooperation in STEM education.
During the inaugural Governing Board Meeting, Professor Gong Ke, Member of the Executive Council of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO), Chair of the Special Task Force of the WFEO Engineering Capacity Building for Africa Programme (ECBAP), and Former WFEO President (2019–2021), was elected Chair of the Governing Board. Peggy Oti-Boateng and Waqas Ahmed were elected Vice Chairs.
Opening remarks were delivered by UNESCO Director-General Khaled Ahmed El-Enany Ali Ezz; Ren Youqun, Vice Minister of Education of China and Chairperson of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO; and Xie Dong, Vice Mayor of Shanghai.
The event featured keynote speeches from distinguished international experts and award-winning scholars, including Nobel Laureate John Michael Kosterlitz, Turing Award laureate Yao Qizhi, Fields Medalists Efim Zelmanov and Bill Carl, Gruber Prize laureate Pu Muming, Peggy Oti-Boateng, former Executive Director of the African Academy of Sciences, and Professor Gong Ke. Experts also engaged with Chinese and international faculty members and students.
The first Governing Board consists of eleven members elected by the General Conference of UNESCO and appointed by the Director-General of UNESCO, together with one representative of the Shanghai Municipal Government as the host city of the Institute.
Following his election, Professor Gong Ke chaired the Board’s review of the Institute’s Medium-Term Strategy and presided over discussions leading to the adoption of the annual work plan and budget.
The UNESCO International Institute for STEM Education (IISTEM) was officially established in Shanghai in September 2025 as a UNESCO Category I Institute. The Institute is committed to serving as a global think tank for STEM education development, a platform for policy dialogue, a hub for resource sharing, and a center for capacity building.
MAY
2026