Hao Ping, who succeeds Katalin Bogyay (Hungary) President of the 36th session of the General Conference (2011-2013), stressed the enduring importance of UNESCO's mission, in education, the sciences, culture and communication. UNESCO/Emilien Urbano

PARIS - Hao Ping, China's vice-minister for education and representative to the UNESCO's executive board, was on Tuesday elected the president of the 37th General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization for a two-year mandate.

Hao Ping was officially endorsed for the appointment at the opening of the 37th session of the General Conference, to replace Katalin Bogyay, Hungary's ambassador to UNESCO, who had presided the 36th session since October 25, 2011.

The endorsement made him the first representative of China to be elected to chair the supreme governing body of UNESCO, the General Conference.

Born in 1959 in Shangdong, Hao Ping has been vice president of China's Peking University (2001-2005) and president of the Beijing Foreign Studies University (2005-2009), before assuming the position as China's vice minister of education.

He has been engaged in international exchanges, cooperation and communication for decades. His dedication to UNESCO was widely acknowledged by deputies and the executive board.