The UNESCO International Institute for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Education was officially inaugurated in Shanghai on Sunday, which is the first global Category 1 Institute of UNESCO in the Asia-Pacific region, marking a big step forward for China in enhancing the development, cooperation and promotion of STEM education globally.
The establishment of the institute was first announced by UNESCO at a session held in Paris in November 2023. Its main functions are to promote inclusive, equitable, suitable and quality STEM education at all stages from early childhood to adulthood, and to serve as a center for communication, networking, resources and capacity building in STEM education. The institute will also support UNESCO's strategy and the needs of its member states, contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda and promoting world peace and development.
STEM education is essential for cultivating future innovative talents in digital technology and promote the global development of STEM education, which is conducive to addressing the profound and complex impacts of the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation on sustainable development. China's Education Minister Huai Jinpeng stated that the foundation of the institute marks a significant historical milestone in the cooperation between China and UNESCO, and it stands as a testament to their joint efforts in advancing open science, open education and cultural exchanges.
The institute will be supported to become a cradle of advanced STEM education concepts, a testing ground for educational ideas, as well as an international cooperation platform to drive educational transformation, technological innovation, and serve global sustainable development, he said.
Audrey Azoulay, director-general of UNESCO, pointed out that Shanghai, with its concentration of knowledge, scientific innovation and historical heritage, provides the ideal location for establishing such an institute. The long-standing partnership between UNESCO and China makes the establishment of the institute in Shanghai a visionary and significant endeavor. The institute will join UNESCO's global network of Category 1 institutes, advancing STEM science, promoting equitable global education, and helping address shared challenges for humans. International STEM education volunteers from Shanghai work at Dar es Salaam in Tanzania in July 2024.
Behind the inauguration of the institute, the UNESCO Teacher Education Centre, a Category 2 institution under the auspices of UNESCO settling at the Shanghai Normal University in 2021, has been making continuous support and efforts in promoting global STEM education.
The two sides launched the Go to Global South: Shanghai International STEM Education Volunteer Project in 2022, which aims to address urgent shared educational challenges in the Global South and has reached over 600 pre- and in-service teachers by far.
The project volunteers have engaged school leaders and teachers across Africa and Southeast Asia through online and in-person STEM workshops and community-based teaching demonstrations, inspiring large crowds of teachers and students across the Global South.
Our teacher education used to be too theoretical — we shall pivot to practice. Working with Chinese volunteers showed me that the teacher is not about the diploma, but about the focus on teaching and how learning happens, said teacher training tutor Mustafa Saleh from Zanzibar, Tanzania.
Tanzania was the project's first landing point. Joel Justine Mhoja, national coordinator for teacher continuous professional development at President's Office, Regional Administration and Local Government in Tanzania, said the Chinese experts, teachers and students are invaluable partners.
Their approaches for teaching mathematics and science have inspired our local teachers. If more schools can adapt these approaches, overall learning outcome will rise significantly, he added.
Between July to August, 33 youth education volunteers were sent to Indonesia, Tanzania and Thailand to conduct regional education needs assessments, teach STEM-related lessons, and facilitate local teacher professional development. They met principals, teachers, university students, scholars and policymakers to better understand educational changes and challenges, listen to local feedback on activities and identify opportunities for future cooperation.
We are exploring a form of regional education needs assessment that differs from geopolitical and competition-driven area studies. Our goal is to enhance mutual understanding between China and partner countries' education communities, co-develop knowledge and experience, and jointly create solutions to shared problems. said Zhang Huafeng, an associate professor at Shanghai Normal University.