Unesco Establishes First Category One Institute in China
Quick Look
- Unesco has opened its first "category one" institute in China, the first of its kind in 14 years.
- Director-General Khaled El-Enany stated that China, particularly Shanghai, was a natural choice due to its significant investments in technology, talent, and education, making it a major hub for research and innovation.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Unesco has established a new "category one" institute in China, the first such facility in 14 years and the first in China. This institute is directly integrated with Unesco's global programmes and strategy.
It is the first “category one” institute – facilities directly integrated with the UN agency’s global programmes and strategy – established by Unesco in 14 years, and the first of its kind in China.
In a moment where multilateralism is coming under strain, the new institute signals that cooperation is both possible and necessary, Unesco Director-General Khaled El-Enany told the South China Morning Post following his trip to Shanghai earlier this month.
The choice to base the facility in China – and Shanghai – was “a natural one”, according to El-Enany.
“Over the past decades, Asia has become a major centre of research and innovation, and China is at the heart of that transformation. This is the result of sustained investment in technology, talent and education,” he said. “Shanghai embodies this momentum.”
Open Questions
- What specific global programmes and strategies will the new institute focus on?
- What are the exact investments made by China in technology, talent, and education that led to this development?
- What is the timeline for the institute's full operationalization and its planned activities?
- How will this institute contribute to multilateralism in practice?
