Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) and China Architecture Design & Research Group were granted by UNESCO the "Chair in Industrial Heritage" on June 30, 2017 and the executor of such chair program is Guo Yuemei who is visiting professor of HUST. It is learned that this is the first UNESCO Chair Program that settles in Wuhan and also the first Chair Program in Cultural Heritage obtained by China upon application to UNESCO.

"Chair program" is one of key projects of UNESCO and has offered important international academic exchange platform for worldwide universities and research institutes for years.

Guo Yuemei said that she will lead the team to register, rescue and repair the industrial heritage of Wuhan after the "Chair in Industrial Heritage" formally settles in Wuhan; complete the repair of former site of Pinghe Package Factory in British concessions in Hankou and repair and transform a historical street in Jiefang Avenue, Hankou into a cultural innovation center.

It is known that the chair program must be obtained through application of the country to UNESCO and upon approval. Since its establishment in 1992, already about 700 educational institutions in 126 countries have joined the program. At present, there are 18 UNESCO Chair Programs in China which are mainly in Beijing and Shanghai and cover the fields like plant biotechnology, science and technology policy, marine and urban development.

Wuhan is the birthplace of heavy industry in modern China and the industrial center of new China and has representative industrial heritages. Doctor Ding Yuan who is an expert of Wuhan on cultural heritage protection said that settling of UNESCO Chair in Industrial Heritage in Wuhan indicates that the rich industrial heritage of Wuhan has attracted UNESCO and will greatly promote Wuhan's industrial heritage protection and studies to comply with international standards at the same time and exert positive impacts on Wuhan's application for City of Design.