Enhancing International Understanding in Smart Education and Deepening Digital Transformation in Global Education —The Global Smart Education Conference 2024 Opened in Beijing
date：2024-08-27 13:12author：adminsource：Smart Learning Instituteviews：
The Global Smart Education Conference 2024 (GSE2024) opened in Beijing on August 18 (GMT+8). The conference, under the theme of “Educational Transformation & International Understanding,” brought together experts, scholars, and frontline teachers from educational, sci-tech, and business circles from across the globe to discuss ways to digitalize and transform education, follow digital strategies and plans in the international community, explore approaches to the digital transformation of education, reflect on issues and challenges at hand, and share new theories, technologies, views, and results regarding smart education. The conference gathered more than 400 guests from around the world, as well as more than 1,500 participants present on the spot.
Group photo at the Opening Ceremony of Global Smart Education Conference 2024
Collaborating on forward-looking strategic and policy planning, leading the sustainable development of smart education
Strengthening international understanding and driving education transformation through digital revolution
Promoting the integration of science and education as well as the fusion of industry and education to support innovative practices in smart education
Release of signature research findings to usher in Year One of smart education
Group photo at the Opening Ceremony of Global Smart Education Conference 2024
Collaborating on forward-looking strategic and policy planning, leading the sustainable development of smart education
Policies are the key guarantee for driving the digital transformation of education, which was listed by the UN Transforming Education Summit as one of the five areas that require greater attention and action. Educational digitalization has become a global consensus and a trend of the times. Diverse actors, including governments, policymakers, schools, and researchers, need to work together to promote the development of digital educational systems and design forward-looking strategies and plans, with a view to leading the sustainable development of smart education.
H.E. Mr. WANG Jiayi, China’s Vice Minister of Education, attended the conference and addressed the audience. He remarked that the Chinese government took very seriously the key role of digitalization in driving educational transformation and had implemented the National Strategic Action for Educational Digitalization for three years in a row. To effectively support educational modernization, China prioritizes application-oriented services and has built a national smart education platform following a “3I” approach of “Integration, Intelligence, and Internationalization”. Mr. WANG held that the world had entered the era of intelligence, and especially the rapid development of generative AI over the recent two years showed us the huge potential of AI in changing the ways people live, produce, and educate. He noted that humanity would usher in human-machine collaboration as a new form of civilization. He put forward three initiatives. First, we should enhance policy dialogue and work together to promote smart education. China is ready to work with governments and international organizations to establish a platform for policy dialogue and exchange to facilitate in-depth communications on new ideas, experience, and strategies about smart education, as well as on policy issues regarding planning, standards, data governance, and security ethics, among others, and work together to explore and develop feasible paths, scientific approaches and effective policy solutions to smart education. Second, we should increase resource sharing to promote more equitable and inclusive education. To make educational digitalization benefit all learners, it is necessary to facilitate the flow and pooling of resources for quality education across the world. Third, we should strengthen capacity building in concerted efforts to draw a new picture of smart education. Education in the era of intelligence requires the teacher, a key factor, whose principal role in human-machine collaboration should be respected. With the aim of student growth and development, technology should be made to serve and enable teachers.
Prof. YU Jihong, President of Beijing Normal University, noted that AI was a vital driver for a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, reshaping how human society produces, lives, and survives. Over recent years, Beijing Normal University (BNU), a leader of normal universities in China, has carried out a succession of new experiments and practices in AI-driven innovation in education under the auspices of the Ministry of Education. Specifically, BNU has implemented the Educational Digitalization Strategy and the Internet Plus Action Plan for Education Reform and Innovation, taken on the mission of “building a great country through first-class education, and nurturing better teachers to strengthen education”, undertaken the routine activities of the Secretariat of the World Digital Education Alliance, and actively promoted the sharing and interconnectivity of digital education resources, working hard to establish a global digital education partnership. Prof. YU suggested that the education community should adhere to a people-centered approach, which helps develop qualities and competencies adapted to the era of intelligence with the aim of all-round and free development of students. A problem-based approach should be followed to tackle practical difficulties, iterate application models, and drive scenario innovation. The education community should uphold fundamental principles and break new ground to facilitate the reconstruction of teachers’ competencies and qualities in the era of intelligence. She expected to see BNU work together with colleagues in the global education community to enhance dialogue and exchanges, increase pragmatic cooperation, drive global education transformation, and create a better future for humanity.
H.E. Mr. WANG Jiayi, China’s Vice Minister of Education, attended the conference and addressed the audience. He remarked that the Chinese government took very seriously the key role of digitalization in driving educational transformation and had implemented the National Strategic Action for Educational Digitalization for three years in a row. To effectively support educational modernization, China prioritizes application-oriented services and has built a national smart education platform following a “3I” approach of “Integration, Intelligence, and Internationalization”. Mr. WANG held that the world had entered the era of intelligence, and especially the rapid development of generative AI over the recent two years showed us the huge potential of AI in changing the ways people live, produce, and educate. He noted that humanity would usher in human-machine collaboration as a new form of civilization. He put forward three initiatives. First, we should enhance policy dialogue and work together to promote smart education. China is ready to work with governments and international organizations to establish a platform for policy dialogue and exchange to facilitate in-depth communications on new ideas, experience, and strategies about smart education, as well as on policy issues regarding planning, standards, data governance, and security ethics, among others, and work together to explore and develop feasible paths, scientific approaches and effective policy solutions to smart education. Second, we should increase resource sharing to promote more equitable and inclusive education. To make educational digitalization benefit all learners, it is necessary to facilitate the flow and pooling of resources for quality education across the world. Third, we should strengthen capacity building in concerted efforts to draw a new picture of smart education. Education in the era of intelligence requires the teacher, a key factor, whose principal role in human-machine collaboration should be respected. With the aim of student growth and development, technology should be made to serve and enable teachers.
Prof. YU Jihong, President of Beijing Normal University, noted that AI was a vital driver for a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, reshaping how human society produces, lives, and survives. Over recent years, Beijing Normal University (BNU), a leader of normal universities in China, has carried out a succession of new experiments and practices in AI-driven innovation in education under the auspices of the Ministry of Education. Specifically, BNU has implemented the Educational Digitalization Strategy and the Internet Plus Action Plan for Education Reform and Innovation, taken on the mission of “building a great country through first-class education, and nurturing better teachers to strengthen education”, undertaken the routine activities of the Secretariat of the World Digital Education Alliance, and actively promoted the sharing and interconnectivity of digital education resources, working hard to establish a global digital education partnership. Prof. YU suggested that the education community should adhere to a people-centered approach, which helps develop qualities and competencies adapted to the era of intelligence with the aim of all-round and free development of students. A problem-based approach should be followed to tackle practical difficulties, iterate application models, and drive scenario innovation. The education community should uphold fundamental principles and break new ground to facilitate the reconstruction of teachers’ competencies and qualities in the era of intelligence. She expected to see BNU work together with colleagues in the global education community to enhance dialogue and exchanges, increase pragmatic cooperation, drive global education transformation, and create a better future for humanity.
Strengthening international understanding and driving education transformation through digital revolution
UNESCO advocates for constructing a New Social Contract, fully leveraging the educational dividends brought by digital technologies to better demonstrate education as a global public interest. Education transformation desperately needs the mobilization and pooling of global forces to forge an international consensus to build a global community of shared future and “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” (SDG4), and to increase communication and cooperation in this regard.
Ms. Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, attended the conference via video and addressed the audience. She noted that educational transformation and international understanding were critical, and UNESCO had played a pioneering role in driving the application of digital education and solving corresponding socioeconomic impacts. Seeing the many members of the UNESCO family at the conference this year, she expected that the conference would facilitate cooperation and innovation and work towards the shared goal of peaceful, equitable, and sustainable development.
H.E. Ms. Maryam Mariya, Minister of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development, Maldives, stressed that the integration of AI and education would have profound impacts on educational and social development. She noted that despite geographical dispersion and other challenges facing the Maldives, the country would actively embrace the future of education, and the Maldives was driving educational inclusion and innovation by devising plans and expanding e-learning platforms, among other actions, in an effort to make each island a learning center and facilitate global cooperation and sharing in education.
H.E. Mr. Justin Valentin, Minister of Education, Republic of Seychelles, shared his country’s experiments and challenges in smart education. He emphasized that Seychelles took seriously the incorporation of technology into education management and classroom practices, and worked towards better access to education through cross-department support for remote and open teaching and learning. He expected to see more cooperation and support for making the shared and great dream of education come true.
H.E. Mr. Lucas Dawa Dekena, Minister for Education, Independent State of Papua New Guinea, underlined that smart education was critical to closing the technological gap and promoting the equity and inclusiveness of education. He noted that Papua New Guinea was improving its quality of education by developing digital infrastructure, updating syllabuses, and developing distance education and STEM education.
H.E. Ms. KILO Vivian ASHERI, Secretary of State, Ministry of Basic Education, the Republic of Cameroon, briefed on the practices and challenges of the country’s reform and transformation in educational digitalization, and indicated that Cameroon would adopt multiple strategies to prioritize the development of digital competencies and drive educational change, adapting to the needs of a digital society.
H.E. Ms. Bo Chankoulika, Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, The Kingdom of Cambodia, stressed that the educational system had to change to adapt to fast-changing technological and social development, and that it was critical to cultivate students with strong adaptability, teamwork ability, critical thinking and digital skills. She noted that Cambodia sought cooperation with global partners to promote the development of smart education.
Mr. Adnan Husić, Assistant to Minister, Ministry of Civil Affairs, Bosnia and Herzegovina, pointed out that the application of digital technologies to education could boost the quality and equity of education and help students develop required skills. He called for efforts to bridge the digital divide by beefing up the development of digital infrastructure, continuously investing in and establishing partnerships, and overcoming challenges at hand. Husić expected to see a more resilient, future-proof educational system.
The authorized representative of Prof. Mohamed Ould Amar, Director General, Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), attended the High-level Dialogue. He said that ALECSO placed great emphasis on the digital transformation process, and was working to enhance the use of digital tools in classrooms to facilitate access to knowledge and stimulate innovation in teaching methods, and integrate AI technologies into educational systems in the Arab world. He mentioned that ALECSO partnered with the Smart Learning Institute at Beijing Normal University to publish a significant number of books, an effort that has effectively promoted the integration of education and technology, and proposed to increase cooperation between Arab countries and China in various fields of scientific research and cultural exchange, among other fields.
Ms. Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, attended the conference via video and addressed the audience. She noted that educational transformation and international understanding were critical, and UNESCO had played a pioneering role in driving the application of digital education and solving corresponding socioeconomic impacts. Seeing the many members of the UNESCO family at the conference this year, she expected that the conference would facilitate cooperation and innovation and work towards the shared goal of peaceful, equitable, and sustainable development.
H.E. Ms. Maryam Mariya, Minister of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development, Maldives, stressed that the integration of AI and education would have profound impacts on educational and social development. She noted that despite geographical dispersion and other challenges facing the Maldives, the country would actively embrace the future of education, and the Maldives was driving educational inclusion and innovation by devising plans and expanding e-learning platforms, among other actions, in an effort to make each island a learning center and facilitate global cooperation and sharing in education.
H.E. Mr. Justin Valentin, Minister of Education, Republic of Seychelles, shared his country’s experiments and challenges in smart education. He emphasized that Seychelles took seriously the incorporation of technology into education management and classroom practices, and worked towards better access to education through cross-department support for remote and open teaching and learning. He expected to see more cooperation and support for making the shared and great dream of education come true.
H.E. Mr. Lucas Dawa Dekena, Minister for Education, Independent State of Papua New Guinea, underlined that smart education was critical to closing the technological gap and promoting the equity and inclusiveness of education. He noted that Papua New Guinea was improving its quality of education by developing digital infrastructure, updating syllabuses, and developing distance education and STEM education.
H.E. Ms. KILO Vivian ASHERI, Secretary of State, Ministry of Basic Education, the Republic of Cameroon, briefed on the practices and challenges of the country’s reform and transformation in educational digitalization, and indicated that Cameroon would adopt multiple strategies to prioritize the development of digital competencies and drive educational change, adapting to the needs of a digital society.
H.E. Ms. Bo Chankoulika, Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, The Kingdom of Cambodia, stressed that the educational system had to change to adapt to fast-changing technological and social development, and that it was critical to cultivate students with strong adaptability, teamwork ability, critical thinking and digital skills. She noted that Cambodia sought cooperation with global partners to promote the development of smart education.
Mr. Adnan Husić, Assistant to Minister, Ministry of Civil Affairs, Bosnia and Herzegovina, pointed out that the application of digital technologies to education could boost the quality and equity of education and help students develop required skills. He called for efforts to bridge the digital divide by beefing up the development of digital infrastructure, continuously investing in and establishing partnerships, and overcoming challenges at hand. Husić expected to see a more resilient, future-proof educational system.
The authorized representative of Prof. Mohamed Ould Amar, Director General, Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), attended the High-level Dialogue. He said that ALECSO placed great emphasis on the digital transformation process, and was working to enhance the use of digital tools in classrooms to facilitate access to knowledge and stimulate innovation in teaching methods, and integrate AI technologies into educational systems in the Arab world. He mentioned that ALECSO partnered with the Smart Learning Institute at Beijing Normal University to publish a significant number of books, an effort that has effectively promoted the integration of education and technology, and proposed to increase cooperation between Arab countries and China in various fields of scientific research and cultural exchange, among other fields.
Promoting the integration of science and education as well as the fusion of industry and education to support innovative practices in smart education
The integration of science and education is the driving force for reshaping the talent cultivation system. The ongoing upgrade of the intelligent technology ecology will serve the adaptive growth of students, boost the professional development of teachers, and support and lead innovative practices in smart education.
Prof. ZHAO Qinping, an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, gave a keynote speech titled Innovating VR 2.0 and Developing Internet 3.0 to Deeply Support the Digital Advancement of Education. He pointed out that sustained progress in the educational sector had not only facilitated the application of technologies, but also fueled continuous innovation and iteration of technologies, especially in meeting the core requirements of the integration of virtual and physical spaces. Prof. ZHAO emphasized that to meet this need, we must go beyond the existing capacity of virtual reality (VR) 1.0 and move toward VR 2.0 characterized by 6Is, i.e., Immersion, Interaction, Imagination, Intelligentize, Interconnection, and Iteration. This would require breakthroughs in such technologies as the Internet, augmented reality (AR), and extended reality (XR), as well as continuous advances in technological innovation and system development. He called for cooperation between technical experts and educators on jointly driving progress in this technology to support the further development of educational informatization, providing a solid technical pillar for the digital transformation of education.
Prof. Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni, Executive President of the Moroccan International Center for Artificial Intelligence, delivered a keynote speech titled Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence for Education: Benefits and Challenges. She noted that AI had enormous potential in the educational sector, but, at the same time, faced several challenges, including reliability, governance, ethical issues, and social acceptability. She underscored that a balance must be stricken between innovation and regulation to ensure the maximum use of AI technology in education and facilitate the sustainable development of education.
Prof. YANG Zongkai, President of Wuhan University of Technology, gave a keynote speech online titled Promoting the Digitalization of Education and Open Up a New Track for Education. He said that educational transformation in the AI era was rising as a topic of broad consensus, but it was necessary to properly handle the relationship between the changeable and unchangeable in the process of digital transformation, which requires sticking to the fundamental task of fostering virtue while educating people and a further shift from the educational model of the Industrial Age towards that of the age of digital intelligence. He believed that the key to reshaping higher education lay in educational environments, teachers’ competencies, teaching and learning methods, provision of resources, and assessment methods, among other factors. According to Prof. YANG, Wuhan University of Technology has implemented a new talent development plan called Program “5·30”, which means 30 actions under five categories, i.e., new standards, new drivers, new model, new system, and new culture.
Mr. Marc Prensky, an American speaker, author, and consultant, presented a report titled THIRD MILLENNIUM KIDS: A Hell Yes! Low Stress Guide for Everyone. He put forward seven basics for the Third Millennium, i.e., Real-World Accomplishment; Get to the Essence or Truth; L.E.G.O. (LOVE, EMPATHY, GRATITUDE, and OPTIMISM); T.R.I.C.K. (TRUST, RESPECT, INDEPENDENCE, COLLABORATION, and KINDNESS); Be Adaptable to Continuous Change; Self-Educate for your own uniqueness and individuality; Be an Earthling (be a citizen of the world); Become a SYMBIOTIC HUMAN HYBRID.
Mr. Lester G Huang, Steward of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Chairman of the Institute of Philanthropy, and Council Chairman of the City University of Hong Kong, attended the conference and addressed the audience. He said that the Hong Kong Jockey Club would firmly support and facilitate the transformation of global education and technology, work closely with educators and schools across Hong Kong to develop resources for quality education, and implement the AI for the Future programme, with a focus on the needs of special education by applying technologies to enable students with learning disabilities, ensuring access to high-quality education for all students. Mr. Huang expected to see the combination of Asian practices and wisdom with the global philanthropic ecosystem to facilitate cross-border academic exchange and talent development and create best practices together.
Mr. GAN Changfu, Deputy Director-General of the Qinghai Provincial Department of Education, presented a report titled Further Implement the Pilot of the National Smart Education Platform for Primary and Secondary Schools to Effectively Support and Promote High-Quality Development of Basic Education in Qinghai Province. He noted that the development of Qinghai needed the introduction of new digital, intelligent means of production. Mr. GAN pointed out that over recent years, the province had actively promoted the application of the Smart Education of China platform for primary and secondary schools through high-level coordination, high-quality execution, high-level planning, and full guarantee. Going forward, he said, Qinghai would establish a national experimental zone for educational digitalization to promote province-wide application and pilot, boost the use of digital tools by teachers, and solidly carry out pilot projects.
Prof. ZHAO Qinping, an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, gave a keynote speech titled Innovating VR 2.0 and Developing Internet 3.0 to Deeply Support the Digital Advancement of Education. He pointed out that sustained progress in the educational sector had not only facilitated the application of technologies, but also fueled continuous innovation and iteration of technologies, especially in meeting the core requirements of the integration of virtual and physical spaces. Prof. ZHAO emphasized that to meet this need, we must go beyond the existing capacity of virtual reality (VR) 1.0 and move toward VR 2.0 characterized by 6Is, i.e., Immersion, Interaction, Imagination, Intelligentize, Interconnection, and Iteration. This would require breakthroughs in such technologies as the Internet, augmented reality (AR), and extended reality (XR), as well as continuous advances in technological innovation and system development. He called for cooperation between technical experts and educators on jointly driving progress in this technology to support the further development of educational informatization, providing a solid technical pillar for the digital transformation of education.
Prof. Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni, Executive President of the Moroccan International Center for Artificial Intelligence, delivered a keynote speech titled Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence for Education: Benefits and Challenges. She noted that AI had enormous potential in the educational sector, but, at the same time, faced several challenges, including reliability, governance, ethical issues, and social acceptability. She underscored that a balance must be stricken between innovation and regulation to ensure the maximum use of AI technology in education and facilitate the sustainable development of education.
Prof. YANG Zongkai, President of Wuhan University of Technology, gave a keynote speech online titled Promoting the Digitalization of Education and Open Up a New Track for Education. He said that educational transformation in the AI era was rising as a topic of broad consensus, but it was necessary to properly handle the relationship between the changeable and unchangeable in the process of digital transformation, which requires sticking to the fundamental task of fostering virtue while educating people and a further shift from the educational model of the Industrial Age towards that of the age of digital intelligence. He believed that the key to reshaping higher education lay in educational environments, teachers’ competencies, teaching and learning methods, provision of resources, and assessment methods, among other factors. According to Prof. YANG, Wuhan University of Technology has implemented a new talent development plan called Program “5·30”, which means 30 actions under five categories, i.e., new standards, new drivers, new model, new system, and new culture.
Mr. Marc Prensky, an American speaker, author, and consultant, presented a report titled THIRD MILLENNIUM KIDS: A Hell Yes! Low Stress Guide for Everyone. He put forward seven basics for the Third Millennium, i.e., Real-World Accomplishment; Get to the Essence or Truth; L.E.G.O. (LOVE, EMPATHY, GRATITUDE, and OPTIMISM); T.R.I.C.K. (TRUST, RESPECT, INDEPENDENCE, COLLABORATION, and KINDNESS); Be Adaptable to Continuous Change; Self-Educate for your own uniqueness and individuality; Be an Earthling (be a citizen of the world); Become a SYMBIOTIC HUMAN HYBRID.
Mr. Lester G Huang, Steward of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Chairman of the Institute of Philanthropy, and Council Chairman of the City University of Hong Kong, attended the conference and addressed the audience. He said that the Hong Kong Jockey Club would firmly support and facilitate the transformation of global education and technology, work closely with educators and schools across Hong Kong to develop resources for quality education, and implement the AI for the Future programme, with a focus on the needs of special education by applying technologies to enable students with learning disabilities, ensuring access to high-quality education for all students. Mr. Huang expected to see the combination of Asian practices and wisdom with the global philanthropic ecosystem to facilitate cross-border academic exchange and talent development and create best practices together.
Mr. GAN Changfu, Deputy Director-General of the Qinghai Provincial Department of Education, presented a report titled Further Implement the Pilot of the National Smart Education Platform for Primary and Secondary Schools to Effectively Support and Promote High-Quality Development of Basic Education in Qinghai Province. He noted that the development of Qinghai needed the introduction of new digital, intelligent means of production. Mr. GAN pointed out that over recent years, the province had actively promoted the application of the Smart Education of China platform for primary and secondary schools through high-level coordination, high-quality execution, high-level planning, and full guarantee. Going forward, he said, Qinghai would establish a national experimental zone for educational digitalization to promote province-wide application and pilot, boost the use of digital tools by teachers, and solidly carry out pilot projects.
Release of signature research findings to usher in Year One of smart education
At the Opening Ceremony & Plenary Session, Prof. HUANG Ronghuai, Co-Dean of Smart Learning Institute, Beijing Normal University, and Prof. ZHAN Tao, Director of UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (UNESCO IITE), on behalf of the Global Smart Education Network (GSENet), released a research report titled Global Understanding of Smart Education in the Context of Digital Transformation. Prof. ZHAN noted that since its inception two years ago, GSENet had brought together 50 members from across the world, and would continue to be open to all. He expected to see concerted efforts toward the vision of sustainable development and to create a new world. According to Prof. HUANG Ronghuai, the research team extensively surveyed educators, policymakers, and scholars from across the world for their insights into smart education, analyzed the policies of 48 countries on digital education and the contributions of smart education to the quality of education, invited more than 10 countries to discussions on the inclusive and equitable smart education, and continuously conducted relevant case studies. The release of this groundbreaking report by GSENet will help foster a shared understanding of smart education in the international community, which is important to ushering in the first year of the smart education era.
Prof. HUANG Ronghuai highlighted five core findings:
1) smart education is emerging as the strategic vision shared by countries in managing key challenges of the AI era and accomplishing the goal of quality education;
2) the performative features (learning, assessment, infrastructure, sustainability, equity) and constructive features (students, teachers, digital technologies, policies, partnerships) of smart education depict the ideal blueprint of high-quality education;
3) global digital education polices should stress continuous progress in developing digital infrastructures and prioritize the development of human resources for digitalization to create a high-quality, inclusive and sustainable ecology for digital education;
4) according to a global dataset on smart education, sustainable education reform planning, effective cross-department and cross-domain collaboration, ubiquitous learning environments and a commitment to inclusiveness have significant impacts on the overall quality of education;
5) due attention should be paid to off-campus acquisition of digital technologies, on-campus training on digital leadership, adaptive development of learning resources and forward-looking reform thinking, in order to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal for education.
Also released during the conference were important outcomes, including Intelligent Transformation of Educational Resources – The Fantastic Particle of the “Photosynthesis”, Practice of Building a Tiered Intervention System for Adolescent Mental Health Based on Multimodal Integration, Large-Scale Smart Classroom Monitoring Platform & Comprehensive Three-Dimensional Teaching Field Construction Guide, and National New Area Smart Education Development Research Report.
The Opening Ceremony was moderated by Prof. ZHOU Zuoyu, Vice President of Beijing Normal University, and the Plenary Session on Futures of Education and the Role of Digital Transformation was moderated by Prof. Asha S. Kanwar, Chair of Governing Board of the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (UNESCO IITE) and Chair Professor, Smart Learning Institute of Beijing Normal University.
The conference, which is to close on August 20, will stage 16 forums and 11 thematic events. The agenda on August 19 and 20 features Forum on Digital Transformation of K-12 Education, Forum on Smart Learning Environments and Digital Infrastructure, Forum on AI for Comprehensive Assessment and Evaluation, Forum on Digitalization for Regional Educational Development, Forum on Development and Use of Digital Textbooks, Forum on Smart Learning in Early Childhood Care and Education, Forum on AI-driven Innovation in Higher Education, Forum on AI and the Future of Teaching, Forum on Smart Villages and Education for Rural Transformation, Forum on Integration of Education, Technology and Industry, Forum on Digital Education and Lifelong Learning, and Forum on Innovation, Research, and Best Practices in Smart Education & Closing Ceremony. Activities to be concurrently staged during the conference include Round Table on Women’s Leadership in the Age of AI, Round Table on China-Africa-SIDS Cooperation in Smart Education, GSENet Partners’ Meeting, UNESCO IITE Governing Board Meeting, Regional Leadership Roundtable on the Development of the Educational Technology Industry, Work Conference for the Construction and Application of Intelligent Learning Environment in Alliance Schools (Districts), Student Forum on Youth Intelligence Inspiring Future Education Innovation, Student Forum on Smart Learning and Future Education Design, Final Review of the 7th Global Competition on Design for Future Education (K-12 Track), TVET Leadership and Management Programme (Workshop), and Smart Education Exhibition. Specifically, the Smart Education Exhibition will showcase up-to-date products and services for smart education in the industry.
GSE2024 is co-organized by Beijing Normal University and UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (UNESCO IITE), and co-hosted by the Smart Learning Institute, Faculty of Education, and Faculty of Psychology of Beijing Normal University, China Institute of Education and Social Development (CIESD) and the National Engineering Research Center of Cyberlearning and Intelligent Technology, China.
The conference is supported by such partners as the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), Commonwealth of Learning (COL), International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and South East Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), as well as enterprises including NetDragon Websoft Inc., iFLYTEK, Jing Shi Rui Dao, China Reform Culture, UNISEDU, Onion Academy, Hailiang Technology, Tencent Education, kingsha.com, 17 Education & Technology Group Inc., OUR SCHOOL, and Pearson.
Prof. HUANG Ronghuai highlighted five core findings:
1) smart education is emerging as the strategic vision shared by countries in managing key challenges of the AI era and accomplishing the goal of quality education;
2) the performative features (learning, assessment, infrastructure, sustainability, equity) and constructive features (students, teachers, digital technologies, policies, partnerships) of smart education depict the ideal blueprint of high-quality education;
3) global digital education polices should stress continuous progress in developing digital infrastructures and prioritize the development of human resources for digitalization to create a high-quality, inclusive and sustainable ecology for digital education;
4) according to a global dataset on smart education, sustainable education reform planning, effective cross-department and cross-domain collaboration, ubiquitous learning environments and a commitment to inclusiveness have significant impacts on the overall quality of education;
5) due attention should be paid to off-campus acquisition of digital technologies, on-campus training on digital leadership, adaptive development of learning resources and forward-looking reform thinking, in order to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal for education.
Also released during the conference were important outcomes, including Intelligent Transformation of Educational Resources – The Fantastic Particle of the “Photosynthesis”, Practice of Building a Tiered Intervention System for Adolescent Mental Health Based on Multimodal Integration, Large-Scale Smart Classroom Monitoring Platform & Comprehensive Three-Dimensional Teaching Field Construction Guide, and National New Area Smart Education Development Research Report.
The Opening Ceremony was moderated by Prof. ZHOU Zuoyu, Vice President of Beijing Normal University, and the Plenary Session on Futures of Education and the Role of Digital Transformation was moderated by Prof. Asha S. Kanwar, Chair of Governing Board of the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (UNESCO IITE) and Chair Professor, Smart Learning Institute of Beijing Normal University.
The conference, which is to close on August 20, will stage 16 forums and 11 thematic events. The agenda on August 19 and 20 features Forum on Digital Transformation of K-12 Education, Forum on Smart Learning Environments and Digital Infrastructure, Forum on AI for Comprehensive Assessment and Evaluation, Forum on Digitalization for Regional Educational Development, Forum on Development and Use of Digital Textbooks, Forum on Smart Learning in Early Childhood Care and Education, Forum on AI-driven Innovation in Higher Education, Forum on AI and the Future of Teaching, Forum on Smart Villages and Education for Rural Transformation, Forum on Integration of Education, Technology and Industry, Forum on Digital Education and Lifelong Learning, and Forum on Innovation, Research, and Best Practices in Smart Education & Closing Ceremony. Activities to be concurrently staged during the conference include Round Table on Women’s Leadership in the Age of AI, Round Table on China-Africa-SIDS Cooperation in Smart Education, GSENet Partners’ Meeting, UNESCO IITE Governing Board Meeting, Regional Leadership Roundtable on the Development of the Educational Technology Industry, Work Conference for the Construction and Application of Intelligent Learning Environment in Alliance Schools (Districts), Student Forum on Youth Intelligence Inspiring Future Education Innovation, Student Forum on Smart Learning and Future Education Design, Final Review of the 7th Global Competition on Design for Future Education (K-12 Track), TVET Leadership and Management Programme (Workshop), and Smart Education Exhibition. Specifically, the Smart Education Exhibition will showcase up-to-date products and services for smart education in the industry.
GSE2024 is co-organized by Beijing Normal University and UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (UNESCO IITE), and co-hosted by the Smart Learning Institute, Faculty of Education, and Faculty of Psychology of Beijing Normal University, China Institute of Education and Social Development (CIESD) and the National Engineering Research Center of Cyberlearning and Intelligent Technology, China.
The conference is supported by such partners as the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), Commonwealth of Learning (COL), International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and South East Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), as well as enterprises including NetDragon Websoft Inc., iFLYTEK, Jing Shi Rui Dao, China Reform Culture, UNISEDU, Onion Academy, Hailiang Technology, Tencent Education, kingsha.com, 17 Education & Technology Group Inc., OUR SCHOOL, and Pearson.
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