Irina Bokova, Former Director-General of UNESCO, Pays a Visit to the School of Government, Sun Yat-sen University

On the morning of October 31, 2023, H.E. Irina Bokova, former Director-General of UNESCO, and Wang Wei, former Secretary-General of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO and Assistant for Priority Africa and External Relations at UNESCO, as well as an alumnus of Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) in International Politics, visited the School of Government (SOG) and had a meeting with the faculty. The participants of the meeting also included Professor Wang Qiushi, Associate Dean of the SOG; Professor Liu Yaping, Director of the Master Public Administration Program in Chinese Governance for Developing Countries (MPA-CGDC); Professor Zhou Yan, Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair in Science and Technology Policies; Post-doctoral Researcher Xu Ding, member of the research team led by Professor Zhang Chaozhi and Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Tourism in UNESCO Designated Sites; Assistant Professor Zhu Xiaoyu from Lingnan College, SYSU; and Ms. Ding Ling from the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange, SYSU.

Photo of the Meeting

Prof. Wang Qiushi extended a warm welcome to Ms. Irina Bokova and introduced the development of the SOG in talent cultivation, academic research, international exchanges, and social services.

Prof. Zhou Yan has been the Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair in Science and Technology Policies since 2022. Focusing on the combination of the Chair and the location advantages, she introduced the research in the field of science and technology policies and the contributions to governmental policy-making with theoretical and practical support. Prof. Zhou emphasized that the research conducted by the Chair not only provides policy advice and promotes policy-making for local governments in China, it also pays attention to the impact of policies on enterprises and individuals, particularly on practices. In a world where the division of labor is stressed nowadays, the choice of science and technology policies is crucial for a country’s technological production and output. As the world’s largest market with the most vibrant technology companies requiring a positive environment for development, China needs to figure out how to improve the transformation of scientific research achievements by universities and research institutes, and how to create value for the public, which are closely related to those science and technology policies. As a result, the ongoing studies are also closely related to these issues now.

Prof. Liu Yaping introduced the performance of the MPA-CGDC Program. She mentioned that with the excellent faculty and management team, as well as the support from the UNESCO Chair, the School has attained positive results in promoting China-Africa cooperation and South-South cooperation.

Ms. Irina Bokova praised the academic research capabilities and student cultivation programs of the SOG, which focuses on cutting-edge issues both at home and abroad by taking advantage of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Great Bay Area. She noted that the School’s Chair in Science and Technology Policies is the earliest one enjoying the longest relations with UNESCO. Meanwhile, she hoped that this Chair would contribute to the fulfillment of the goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially in fostering social and economic sustainable development through technology.

In the future, the Chair will continue to enhance exchanges and cooperation with other UNESCO Chairs in different fields and regions based on the research platforms of SYSU and the SOG. By making good use of the resources of the Chair, the School will also conduct a series of activities ranging from scientific research and teaching to academic exchanges to share China's experience.

Group Photo of Participants