Qian Tang was born in Beijing in 1950 and graduated from Shanxi University’s sports department in 1973. He is UNESCO’s assistant director-general for education, a member of the 10th CPPCC Shaanxi provincial committee.

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April 2010 – now: Assistant director-general for education, UNESCO, the top position that any Chinese has held at UNESCO.

Nov 2009 - April 2010: Acting assistant director-general for education, UNESCO.

2005 – 2009: Deputy assistant director-general for education, UNESCO.

2001 – 2005: Director, executive office, UNESCO education dept and coordinator, planning, budget, and personnel;

2000 – 2001: Director secondary education and vocational education dept, UNESCO.

1996 – 2000: Chief, vocational and technical education section, of UNESCO in charge of coordinating UNESCO’s international vocational projects.

1993 – 1996: Senior program specialist, vocational and technical education, UNESCO.

Autumn 1992: Executive deputy director, Shaanxi province science and technology dept.

Nov 1989 – 1992: Head of General Affairs and administration of State Education Commission’s vocational and technical education division.

Sept 1985 - Nov 1989: Secretary, education division of Chinese embassy in Canada, in charge of educational exchanges and Chinese students in Canada;

1979 – 1985: Student, University of Windsor, Canada, with a master’s degree in exercise physiology and PhD in biology; also chairman of fellowship association of local Chinese scholars and students.

1978: Postgraduate student in exercise physiology at Beijing Institute of Physical Education (Beijing Sports University).

1976 – 1978: Teacher, middle school in Xingxian county.

1973 – 1976: Student, Shanxi University sports dept.

1968 – 1973: Worked in Xingxian county, Shanxi province with educated youth sent down to work in rural areas during the "Cultural revolution".

1964 – 1968: Student, middle school affiliated with Tsinghua University.