In the picture (from left to right):

Mr. CAO Jianlin, Vice Minister, MOST

Ms. Cyhthia Guttman, ODG

Ms. ZHAO Shaohua, Vice Minister, Ministry of Culture

Mr. HAO Ping, Vice Minister, MOE

Ms. Irina Bokova, DG, UNESCO

Ms. LIU Yandong, State Councilor

Mr. WAN Gang, Minister, MOST/Vice Chairman, CPPCC (Chinese People's Political Consultative Committee)

Mr. HAN Zheng, Mayor, Shanghai

Mr. WANG Xiaochu,Vice Minister, MOHRSS

Ms. YIN Yicui, Deputy Party Secretary, Shanghai

Mr. Abhimanyu Singh, BEJ/DIR

On 14 May 2012 the signing ceremony regarding the establishment of an International Research and Training Centre for Science and Technology Strategy as a Category 2 Centre under the auspices of UNESCO took place in Shanghai, China. The Director-General Irina Bokova signed the official agreement with Mr. Wan Gang, the Chinese Minister of Science and Technology, representing the Chinese Government.

Mr. Liu Yandong, member of the Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee and State Councilor attended and witnessed the ceremony. Also present at the signing ceremony was HAN Zheng, Mayor of Shanghai, HAO Ping, Vice Minister of Education, WANG Xiaochu, Vice Minister, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, ZHAO Shaohua, Vice Minister of Culture, Mr. Abhimanyu Singh, Director and Representative of UNESCO to China and YIN Yicui, Deputy Party Secretary of Shanghai.

The assignment of the agreement marks the official establishment of the Centre. The Centre will be the first UNESCO Category 2 Centre dedicated to research and training for science and technology policy and innovation strategy. The Centre will focus on increasing the capacity of policy-making of the Member States in terms of sciences and technology innovation, forging a global network of science and technology, innovation strategy-related studies and promoting of knowledge diffusion in this field through multi-level academy-industry-government cooperation.

The center is now actively preparing for the inaugural opening ceremony which will be held in the second half of this year and its first international seminar on planning strategies and preparation method for technological development in developing countries.

On 14 May 2012 the signing ceremony regarding the establishment of an International Research and Training Centre for Science and Technology Strategy as a Category 2 Centre under the auspices of UNESCO took place in Shanghai, China. The Director-General Irina Bokova signed the official agreement with Mr. Wan Gang, the Chinese Minister of Science and Technology, representing the Chinese Government.