Mr. Tang obtained a bachelor's degree in education in the Shanxi University (China) in 1976. Then he taught at the university for two years and then moved to Canada, where from 1979 to 1985 he studied at the University of Windsor. There he received a master's degree in applied psychology and a degree of Doctor of Biology
From 1985 to 1989 Mr. Tang worked at the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa, Canada as the First Secretary for Education. At that time he was responsible for establishing and improving cooperation between Chinese and Canadian universities.
From 1989 to 1992 he worked in the Ministry of Education in Beijing as the Director of the Policy, Planning and Management Office in the Department of Vocational and Technical Education. Subsequently, he took up a post of the Director General of the Department, where he was responsible for planning the national policy on technical and vocational education systems in China. In 1992 he became the Deputy Director-General of the Bureau of Science and Technology in the Shanxi Provincial Government in Xi'an
In 1993 Mr. Tang took up a post of the Senior Programme Specialist in the UNESCO Technical and Vocational Education Division.
In 1996 he became the Head of the Division. His duties included general coordination of the implementation of the UNESCO International Project on Technical and Vocational Education (UNEVOC).
In December 2000 he was appointed the Director of the Department of Secondary, Technical and Vocational Education.
In July 2001 he became the Director of the Executive Office of the UNESCO Education Division
In July 2005 Mr. Tang was appointed the Deputy Assistant Director General for Education. At the same time, he served as the Executive Director of the office in the Education Division.
Since 2009 Mr. Tang has served as the UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education.