Program to boost rural development

UNESCO and Peking University co-organized a three-day workshop, from Friday to Sunday, to launch a UNESCO Chair on Creativity and Sustainable Development in Rural Areas. The Chair is hosted by professor Xiang Yong of the School of Arts.

The UNESCO Chair program was established in 1992. There are some 950 UNESCO Chairs and 45 UNITWIN (University Twinning and Networking Program) Networks hosted in higher education institutions in 120 countries, with 30 Chairs in China.

As the third Peking University Chair, the UNESCO Chair in Rural Creativity and Sustainable Development will actively respond to and implement the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, focus on the sustainable development of rural cultural and creativity, and carry out all kinds of academic research, talent cultivation, and cultural and creativity practice for children, women, entrepreneurs and grass-roots managers in the filed of rural culture.

Qin Changwei, secretary-general of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, said at the seminar: "It is the country's first chair dedicated to rural development. The establishment of the chair will undoubtedly provide strong support for the dissemination of Chinese rural culture and creative development experiences and promote global rural cultural and creative development. The Chinese National Commission for UNESCO will continue to play a good coordinating and liaison role, providing full support for the chair's activities."

Duong Bich Hanh, program specialist for culture, UNESCO Multi-sectoral Regional Office for East Asia shared her view of the effective role of culture and creativity in rural development. She emphasizes the central role of culture in achieving sustainable development goals and advocates for the use of digital technology and data-driven approaches to enhance the management and utilization of cultural resources.

Professor Xiang introduced some projects the Chair will run, including organizing seminars on children's aesthetic education, rural women's entrepreneurship forum, book-reading clubs, summer school and other student practice platforms.