This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women held by the United Nations, also known as the Beijing World Conference on Women. The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women concluded in Beijing on October 13, 2025. On this occasion, the Fifth International Conference on Women in Science, Engineering, Economy, Technology, and Innovation (SE²TI) was successfully hosted at Tsinghua University from October 9 to 11. The conference was jointly organized by the UNESCO International Centre for Engineering Education (ICEE) and the UNESCO Science, Technology and Innovation Center for South-South Cooperation (ISTIC). With the theme of “Trailblazer of Tomorrow’s Innovation,” the conference aimed to showcase women's achievements and influence in the fields of science, engineering, economics, technology, and innovation, and to promote gender equality and social inclusive development.

Irina Bokova, Former Director-General of UNESCO; GUO Yong, the Vice Chair of Tsinghua University Council; Shahbaz Khan, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia; Lee Yee Cheong, Honorary Chairman of ISTIC; TIAN Hongqi, Vice Chairperson of the Governing Board of ICEE, Former President of Central South University; YUAN Si, Executive Director of ICEE, Former Vice President of Tsinghua University; QU Zhenyuan, Former President of China Association of Higher Education, Member of the Advisory Board of ICEE; GONG Ke, Former President of WFEO, Former President of Nankai University, Member of the Advisory Board of ICEE; Mohd Basyaruddin Abdul Rahman, Chairperson of ISTIC Governing Board; WANG Sunyu, Deputy Executive Director & Secretary General of ICEE; Refilwe Buthelezi, President, Federation of African Engineering Organisations (FAEO); Tania Cristina D’Agostini Bueno, President-Elect of International Federation of Engineering Education Societies (IFEES); ZHANG Bin, Deputy Director-General of the Department of International Affairs of the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese Society of Engineers (CSE); GE Siying, Deputy Secretary General, National Commission of the People's Republic of China for UNESCO, attended the conference. WU Qidi, Former Minister of the Ministry of Education in China, Director of ICEE, officiated at the opening ceremony of the conference. 

Wu Qidi hosted opening ceremony

Irina Bokova delivered video address

In her video address, Irina Bokova reviewed the progress made over the past 30 years in implementing the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, and its significant role in advancing women’s empowerment. She particularly highlighted China’s remarkable achievements in advancing gender equality and fostering women’s participation in the digital economy and scientific innovation. She called for expanding educational opportunities, building mentorship networks, improving policy support, and transforming social mindsets to help women fully realize their potential in engineering and technology. Finally, she emphasized that empowering women to engage in scientific and technological innovation is not only a step toward gender equality but also a crucial pathway to global sustainable development and economic progress.

Guo Yong  delivered addresses

Guo Yong pointed that the convening of this conference is a concrete action to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Beijing World Conference on Women and to implement UNESCO’s Priority Gender Equality Strategy. He stated that Tsinghua University is willing to work together with UNESCO, international organizations, and friends from around the world to build a collaborative network that transcends regions, disciplines, and sectors, strengthen international dialogue, promote practical cooperation, and create an enabling environment for more women to excel in science, engineering, technology, the economy, and innovation.

Shahbaz Khan delivered addresses

Shahbaz Khan stated that women play a crucial role in the field of science and technology. In the East Asian region, about 30% of researchers are women, yet they still face challenges such as insufficient access to education, pay gaps, and a lack of leadership opportunities. He called for empowering women through policy support, the elimination of bias, and attention to AI ethics, in order to achieve genuine gender equality and sustainable development.

The conferenen featured six plenary sessions focusing on key themes of “Breaking Barriers – Policy Reforms for Women in Science, Technology”, “Innovation; Gender Equality – Women as Catalysts of Innovation”, “Science & Engineering – Women Driving Scientific Breakthroughs”, “Education – Nurturing the Next Generation of Innovators”, “Economy – Women Driving Economic Growth Through Innovation” and “Disruptive Technology – Women Pioneering the Future”. 

Nearly one hundred experts, scholars, government officials, entrepreneurs, and youth representatives from countries including China, Malaysia, the United States, Brazil, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Iran, Denmark, Zimbabwe, and South Africa shared their research findings and practical experiences. They discussed from diverse perspectives the crucial roles of women in science and technology, the challenges they face, and the importance of empowering women, while calling for deeper international cooperation.

Tian Hongqi held a plenary seesion

Gong Ke  delivered speech

Gong Ke delivered a speech titled “Breaking Barriers — Policy Reforms for Women in SETI.” He emphasized that empowering women is vital for the future of engineering and humanity, noting that increasing the number of female engineers is key to addressing the global talent gap, enhancing innovation efficiency, and achieving social equity. He analyzed the systemic barriers women face throughout the entire pipeline and proposed comprehensive solutions, from eliminating stereotypes in schools, to establishing fair mechanisms in enterprises, and fostering joint efforts among governments, the media, and women themselves, in order to unleash the wisdom of “half the sky” and promote sustainable social development.

Qu Zhenyuan held plenary seesions

Wang Sunyu held plenary seesions

Yuan Si, Executive Director of ICEE, former Vice President of Tsinghua University, and Lee Yee Cheong, Honorary Chairman of ISTIC, each delivered closing remarks. Yuan Si stated that the conference focused on the vital role of women in engineering and technological innovation, directly confronting existing challenges and calling for the elimination of gender stereotypes. He advocated for building an inclusive ecosystem, from education to the workplace, that supports women’s development and empowers them to become shapers of technology and leaders in industry. Lee Yee Cheong reviewed the history of cooperation between China and Malaysia in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment, emphasizing that collaboration between men and women is key to success. He issued a call to action, expressing hope that technologies such as artificial intelligence, particularly through the use of data from the Global South, could be harnessed to empower women’s comprehensive development.

Yuan Si delivered closing remarks

Lee Yee Cheong delivered closing remarks

The conference was co-organized by the School of Education at Tsinghua University and the Aalborg Centre for Problem Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability at Aalborg University (UCPBL). The convening of the conference has injected new momentum into advancing global gender equality and promoting the sustainable development of women in the SE²TI fields (Science, Engineering, Education, Technology, and Innovation).