From July 9 to 10, 2026, the Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) Regional Finals of the 9th Global Competition on Design for Futures (GCD4F 2026) Higher Education Track was successfully held at Moscow City University (MCU). Co-organized by Beijing Normal University (BNU) and the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (UNESCO IITE), the event was jointly hosted by the Investment in the Future Charitable Foundation, MCU, the Smart Learning Institute of BNU, and the UNESCO Chair on AI in Education. The Investment in the Future Charitable Foundation provided full logistical and strategic support throughout the event. Twenty-three university student teams from seven countries—Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan—qualified for the regional finals, engaging in two days of in-depth exchange and intense competition.
Group Photo of Participants at the EECA Regional Finals
Opening Ceremony: Joint Addresses Pave the Way for a New Chapter in Regional Cooperation
On the morning of July 9, the opening ceremony was held at MCU. Prof. CHEN Guangju, Deputy Director of Smart Learning Institute of BUN and Chair of the GCD4F Steering Committee, noted that the inaugural regional finals in EECA coincided with the launch of the China-Russia Year of Education (2026–2027), adding fresh momentum to youth innovation and exchange. In 2026, the competition has been comprehensively upgraded, expanding its scope from educational topics to the broader realm of sustainable development, with five regional finals established in Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. He elaborated on the profound meaning of competition: "Global" speaks to shared challenges that transcend borders; "Design" represents a practical wisdom that integrates empathy and creativity; and "Futures" signifies the cumulative value of every courageous exploration. He concluded by encouraging participants to harness the power of innovation in advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Dr. Shafika Isaacs, Acting Director of UNESCO IITE, highly commended BNU for its sustained leadership in fostering global youth innovation since the competition's inception in 2018, and extended her gratitude to the Investment in the Future Charitable Foundation for its support and to MCU for its outstanding hosting. She encouraged the young contestants to engage in "bold, open, collaborative, and candid exchanges" over the two-day event, jointly making the regional finals a milestone in the competition's development.
Mr. Petr Polozhevets, Executive Director of the Investment in the Future Charitable Foundation, emphasized that AI is no longer merely a technological tool for enhancing productivity, but should also be embraced as a humanistic approach that serves people—helping to identify diseases at an early stage, assisting physicians in diagnostic decision-making, and supporting people with disabilities in their full integration into society. The Foundation's mission, he noted, is to build a bridge between young innovators' ideas and industrial practice, turning youth ingenuity into viable solutions to real-world problems.
Ms. Elena Gevorkian, Acting Rector and First Vice-Rector of MCU, expressed that as one of Russia's youngest pedagogical universities, founded just over three decades ago, MCU feels deeply honored to host such a significant international event. As a participant in Russia's national strategic program "Priority 2030," MCU is actively engaged in the reform of the country's higher education system. She pledged to provide ample academic exchange conditions for all participating students, and encouraged young participants to forge cross-border friendships, expand international collaboration, and together "build their own brilliant future."
In the guest address segment, Ms. Elena Galaktionova, Director of the Department for Multilateral Humanitarian Cooperation and Cultural Relations, Secretary-General of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO, noted that the three major themes of the competition align closely with UNESCO's Recommendation on Open Educational Resources (2019) and Recommendation on Open Science (2021), while also calling for attention to the physical and mental well-being of the youth amid digital transformation. Ms. Olga Molovtseva, Deputy Director of the Department for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, Governing Board Member of UNESCO IITE, stated that the regional finals serve as a vital platform for supporting talented youth worldwide, and that Moscow's world-leading position in digital technology and innovation infrastructure provides an ideal setting for the event. Mr. Rejep Makhmudov, Head of the Digital Systems and Information Security Department at the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan, noted that Turkmenistan had identified international cooperation in science and education as a strategic priority two years ago, making this appearance on the international stage in Moscow all the more significant.
Group Photo of Leaders at the Opening Ceremony
Thematic Forum: Multi-Dimensional Perspectives on Fostering Youth Innovation through Industry-Academia Collaboration
Following the opening ceremony, a thematic forum was held, centered on three key pillars: "AI for Education," "AI for Science," and "AI for Society." The forum featured dedicated presentations by three distinguished speakers: Dr. Tingwen Chang, Assistant Dean of the Smart Learning Institute of BNU; Mr. Dmitry Yuryevich Bugaychenko, Managing Director of the B2C Artificial Intelligence Development Department, Sberbank and Mr. Alexander Aspaurovich Radzhabov, Executive Director of Technologies Division, AI Tools and Information Services team. Drawing from academic research, industrial practice, and social application respectively, the speakers offered multidimensional insights that deepened participants' understanding of the core themes and broadened their project perspectives.
Dr. Tingwen Chang (left), Mr. Dmitry Yuryevich Bugaychenko (center), and Mr. Alexander Aspaurovich Radzhabov (right) deliver their speeches.
Inspiring Project Presentations: AI for Good – A Diverse Showcase of Solutions
The 23 finalist teams focused their projects on AI applications in education, society, and science — with 15 tackling education, 5 addressing social needs, and 3 exploring cutting-edge research. Their topics spanned a wide range of issues, including support for vulnerable groups, accessible mobility, educational equity, youth legal literacy, oncology research, mental health, and cross-cultural learning. Each team delivered a project presentation followed by expert Q&A, elaborating on their technical approaches, social impact, and implementation pathways. The projects featured a rich variety of innovations: Braille recognition tools for the visually impaired, accessible navigation systems for people with mobility challenges, adaptive learning platforms to promote educational equity, AI compliance assistants to enhance youth legal literacy, oncology research platforms to support cutting-edge science, and language collaboration applications connecting cross-cultural learners. Grounded in real user stories, these solutions brought the vision of "AI for Good" to life with tangible impact.
Participating teams deliver their roadshow reports
International Jury: Seven Cross-Border Experts Evaluate Project Roadshows
The jury members of EECA Regional Finals comprised seven experts from China, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan, representing diverse fields including higher education, educational technology governance, international organizations, industrial practice, and AI research and development. The panel consisted of: Prof. CHEN Guangju, Deputy Director of Smart Learning Institute of BNU and Chair of the GCD4F Steering Committee; Ms. Aisulu Imashova, Senior researcher of Department of ontology and philosophy of AI, National Academy of Science, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; Mr. Rejep Makhmudov, Head of the Digital Systems and Information Security Department at the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan; Mr. Andrey Ioffe, Head of the Laboratory of Human Potential Development in Education at Moscow City University; Mr. Igor Filatov, Methodologist and expert of Sberbank “Youth Accelerator” team, master-tracker and entrepreneur; Ms. Tatiana Murovana, Project Officer at UNESCO IITE; and Mr. Alexander Dzyuba, Head of Offer Personalization, Sberbank.
The jury members rigorously evaluated the submissions across multiple dimensions, including problem awareness, innovation spirit, technology for good, application prospect, and presentation and expression. They offered in-depth feedback on project pain points, technology selection, ethical boundaries, and scaling pathways, providing the young teams with multidisciplinary guidance that combined academic authority, policy insight, and industry implementation experience to support their subsequent project iterations.
The international jury delivers their comments and feedback
Award Ceremony: Celebrating Excellence and Gearing Up for the Global Finals in Beijing
On the afternoon of July 10, the award ceremony of EECA Regional Finals was held. Following comprehensive deliberations by the jury members, it awarded two Gold Prizes, along with one winner each for Best Design, Best Presentation, Best Practice, Best Creativity, and Most Technologically Impressive Award.
One of the Gold Prize-winning teams was SixDots from Russia, comprising Alexandra Shilova, Kedessina Gnoyarou, Daniil Konin, Alexander Naumov, and Ksenia Shishkina — all students at Saratov State University. Focusing on the "AI for Education" track, the team developed an autonomous Braille recognition and translation system for inclusive education, providing efficient and accurate Braille conversion services for visually impaired individuals and significantly enhancing information accessibility in inclusive educational settings.
Team SixDots from Russia receives the Gold Prize
The second Gold Prize-winning team was UMI_TEAM from Kyrgyzstan, comprising Liubov Evseeva, Elina Dumanaeva, Ostapyuk Samuil, Veronika Ponomareva, and Mukhammadaziz Zalimov — all from Kyrgyz State Technical University. Focusing on the "AI for Society" track, the team designed UMI_Navigator, an online accessible mobility platform that provides safe and convenient travel solutions for people with reduced mobility, the elderly, and parents with strollers. Integrating city mapping, situational awareness, and real-time crowdsourced data, the platform leverages an embedded AI agent to dynamically generate optimal routes, demonstrating the social value of using AI to serve vulnerable populations and empower urban governance.
Team UMI_TEAM from Kyrgyzstan receives the Gold Prize
The list of award winners at the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regional Finals is as follows:
The 9th Global Competition on Design for Futures established five regional finals in Africa (Cameroon), Eastern Europe and Central Asia (Russia), Central and Eastern Europe (Slovenia), Southeast Asia (Malaysia), and South Asia (Maldives). In October 2026, the winning teams from all regions will convene in Beijing for the Global Finals, where they will showcase cutting-edge innovations and envision a sustainable future through the lens of design thinking.
Link: GCD4F Website
