Symbiosis Launches Asia's First UNESCO Chair on Gender Inclusion in Skills

Symbiosis Skills and Professional University (SSPU) has established Asia's first UNESCO Chair on Gender Inclusion and Skill Development, positioning India at the center of global conversations around gender and workforce transformation. The Chair was formally inaugurated on April 24, 2026, during an international conference titled "Women Leading the Future of Work" held in Pune.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary led the inauguration ceremony, alongside Maharashtra Minister for Women and Child Development Aditi Tatkare and Norway's Consul General Monica Nagelgaard. The event drew over 300 delegates representing government institutions, academic organizations, industry leaders, and international bodies.

According to the official Press Information Bureau release, the UNESCO Chair functions as a research hub integrating training, policy innovation, and industry collaboration. This differs from traditional academic programmes by emphasizing job-oriented curricula and direct employment pathways.

The initiative addresses a documented gap: women represent only 28.2 per cent of the global STEM workforce despite comprising a significantly higher proportion of STEM graduates. The Chair targets sunrise sectors including artificial intelligence, robotics, semiconductor technology, advanced manufacturing, and defence technology.

SSPU has already trained over 10,000 underprivileged girls in these areas, with many securing employment and competitive salaries. The university also launched the "Kushal Saathi" mentoring initiative during the conference to support girls pursuing STEM education and careers.

Industry participation was substantial. More than 40 distinguished leaders from companies including Larsen & Toubro, IBM, Capgemini, Barclays, and Jabil contributed as keynote speakers and panellists. SSPU signed memoranda of understanding with Jabil and Larsen & Toubro Precision Engineering & Systems to enhance skill-based training in advanced technologies.

Chaudhary emphasized that India's growth trajectory depends on inclusive empowerment. "Initiatives like this UNESCO Chair ensure that women are at the forefront of emerging sectors such as semiconductors, advanced manufacturing and new-age technologies," he stated. "When skilling is aligned with industry demand and grounded in equity, it becomes a powerful driver of both economic progress and social transformation."

The conference also featured the unveiling of a research compendium on gender inclusion and skill development. Participants examined how technological transformation and climate transitions are reshaping labour markets worldwide, exploring pathways to enable women's transition from education to employment, leadership, and entrepreneurship.

SSPU holds the top ranking in India under the Skill University category in the NIRF rankings for 2024 and 2025. The university offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes in high-growth sectors, including recently introduced B.Tech courses in Defence Technology and Semiconductor Technology.

UNESCO's involvement signals institutional commitment to strengthening gender-responsive education and skills systems aligned with digital and green transitions. The Chair will serve as a regional platform for research, innovation, and capacity-building in inclusive skills development across Asia.

The physical reality of this work matters. Students aren't just learning theory—they're handling semiconductor fabrication equipment, programming robotics systems, and engaging with defence technology infrastructure. The Kushal Saathi initiative provides hands-on mentorship, which is critical when abstract concepts meet real-world application (something that often gets lost in policy documents).

Structural and socio-cultural barriers remain significant obstacles. The conference acknowledged that closing participation gaps requires addressing persistent limitations on women's access to high-growth sectors. Implementation effectiveness will determine whether this Chair achieves its stated goals.

Independent reporting from BusinessLine corroborates the scope and timeline of the launch, confirming the event details and industry partnerships.

Whether this initiative translates into measurable workforce participation gains remains to be seen. The framework exists, the partnerships are signed, and the first cohort has been trained. The real test comes when employment data shows sustained outcomes rather than one-time placement statistics.

Artūras Malašauskas is an AI Systems Integrator with 20+ years of production-grade web engineering experience. He has designed, shipped, and scaled enterprise Python/PHP systems for logistics, SaaS, and public-sector clients. For the past year, he has focused exclusively on AI integrations: deploying open-source LLMs, building generative media pipelines (image, audio, video), and engineering multi-agent workflows for real production environments. His standard: reproducibility, security, cost-efficient inference—no vaporware. He documents and evaluates emerging AI tooling, separating verified capabilities from marketing noise. Technical editor at: muza-ai.eu, ai-verslas.lt, ai-naujinos.lt Connect on LinkedIn