Updated UNESCO Leadership in 2026

In November 2025, at the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference held in Samarkand, Khaled El-Enany (Egypt) was elected as the Organization's new Director-General. He became the 12th head of UNESCO and the first representative of an Arab country to hold this

Khaled El-Enany was elected by UNESCO Member States following a lengthy campaign based on the concept of "UNESCO for People." Since 2016, he had headed the Ministry of Antiquities, and between 2019 and 2022, he served as Egypt's Minister of Tourism and Antiquities. In these roles, he successfully managed complex public administration structures and strengthened international cooperation in archaeology and tourism.

Khaled El-Enany has been a professor of Egyptology at Helwan University in Egypt for over thirty years. He holds a doctorate in Egyptology from Paul Valéry University Montpellier 3 (France) and is the author of numerous scientific publications. His international activities have been recognized with many awards, including the Order of Arts and Letters (France), Knight of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, and Knight of the Order of the Rising Sun (Japan).

In April 2026, Professor Qun Chen (China) was appointed to the position of Assistant Director-General for Education.

Professor Chen has extensive experience in the educational sector, including positions as a researcher at East China Normal University (ECNU) and in the Shanghai municipal administration. Professor Chen served as Deputy Mayor of Shanghai and later as Deputy Chairman of the Shanghai Committee of the National People's Congress. In these roles, he oversaw key areas including education, social and legal affairs, contributing to the development of Shanghai's education system.

Professor Chen, a Candidate of Physical Sciences, has received international recognition for his contributions to research and interdisciplinary sciences..

The appointments of Khaled El-Enany and Professor Qun Chen mark a new stage in UNESCO's development, underscoring the importance of international cooperation and innovative approaches in education and cultural heritage preservation.

Source: Official website of the Coordinating Committee of UNESCO Chairs of the Russian Federation

Youth Mental Health in Times of Crises

UNESCO is working on publishing a first UNESCO Global Youth Outlook, focusing on Youth Mental Health in Times of Crises. The goals of the study are to understand the current state of youth mental health and the ways it is impacted by crises, investigate emerging trends, and shape recommendations that support youth mental well-being and foster resilience among young people. It therefore aims to provide meaningful support to governments by contributing to the development of policies and systems that address the needs of youth.

Childhood is the key period in a person's development

The jubilee 5th Congress of Young Scientists is taking place on the federal territory of "Sirius" from November 26 to 28, 2025. This is the flagship annual event of the Decade of Science and Technology in Russia, declared by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin for the years 2022–2031.

Back to the list