根据联合国教科文组织第26次大会决议，联合国教科文组织于1992年启动了姐妹大学网络项目/联合国教科文组织教席计划（UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme）。教席计划的主要任务是广泛结合联合国教科文组织在教育、文化、环境、工程、基础科学、传媒等领域的优势地位，充分利用高校及研究机构的重点学科的教学、研究和辐射能力，开展科研、培训与学术交流等活动。通过院校间交流项目，促进知识和技术的传播与转化，促进发展中国家，特别是最不发达国家高等教育的发展，实现高等教育国际化。
教席的设立一般需由联合国教科文组织与有关国家院校或科研机构签订协议，确定某一强项学科领域的培训活动或成果具有可分享性和推广意义，并指定一位学术带头人任教席主持人 (Chair Holder)，负责具体活动的组织实施。到目前为止，联合国教科文组织在全球共设立了864个教席，其中在中国先后设立了22个姊妹大学网络/教席。
联合国教科文组织在中国设立的姊妹大学网络单位及负责领域：
1 UNITWIN Network in Distance and Open Learning (337), established in 1997 at Shanghai Open University
2 UNITWIN Network for Higher Education in the Performing Arts (1148), Shanghai Theatre Academy, The International Theatre Institute (ITI), and Georgetown University, established in 2016
联合国教科文组织在中国设立的教席单位及负责领域：
1 UNESCOChair in Plant Biotechnology (1992), Peking University, Beijing (62)
2 UNESCO Chair in Cultural Management (1998), Southeast University (S.E.U.), Nanjing (411)
3 UNESCO Chair in Continuing Engineering Education (1999), Tsinghua University, Beijing (429)
4 UNESCO Chair in Higher Education (1999), Peking University, Beijing (461) 5 UNESCO Chair in Copyright and Neighbouring Rights (2001), The Renmin University of China, Beijing (552)
6 UNESCO/ EOLSS Chair in Science and Technology Policies (2001), Zhongshan (Sun Yat- Sen) University, Guangzhou (633)
7 UNESCO Chair in Teacher Education (2004), The East China Normal University, Shanghai (664)
8 UNESCO Chair on Cooperation Between Higher Engineering Education and Industries (2005), Beijing Jiao-Tong University, Beijing (672)
9 UNESCO Chair in Media and Gender (2005), Communication University of China, Beijing (690)
10 UNESCO/COUSTEAU Ecotechnie Chair (2005), Yunnan University (709)
11 UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurial Education (2010), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou (892)
12 UNESCO Chair in Regional Education Development and Lifelong Learning (2011), The Hong Kong Institute of Education (915)
13 UNESCO Chair in South-South Cooperation on Science and Technology to Address Climate Change (2012), Beijing Institute of Technology, China Science and Technology Exchange Center (963)
14 UNESCO Chair in Comparative Education (2012), University of Hong Kong (976)
15 UNESCO Chair on Ceramic Culture: Preservation and Creativity (2017), Jingdezhen University (1219)
16 UNESCO Chair on Industrial Heritage (2017), Huazhong University of Science and Technology (1241)
17 UNESCO Chair on Peace Studies (2017), Nanjing University (1242)
18 UNESCO Chair on Heritage Conservation Planning and Sustainable Social Development (2019), Tsinghua University (1371)
19 UNESCO Chair on Cultural Heritage Law (2020), Renmin University of China (1399)
20 UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Tourism in UNESCO Designated Sites (2020), Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou (1400)
访问联合国教科文组织网站了解更多关于教席计划的信息
