[GCD4FE 2025] The Regional Selection Contest in the Southeast Asian Region of the Higher Education Track Successfully Held in the Philippines
date：2025-07-07 17:31author：adminsource：Smart Learning Instituteviews：
On July 1st–2nd, 2025, the Regional Selection Contest in the Southeast Asian Region, the Higher Education Track of the 8th Global Competition on Design for Future Education (GCD4FE), was successfully held at Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) in the Philippines. The event was co-organized by Beijing Normal University (BNU) and the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (UNESCO IITE), and co-hosted by Mariano Marcos State University, Smart Learning Institute of Beijing Normal University (SLIBNU), and the UNESCO Chair on Artificial Intelligence in Education, with strong support from the Consulate of the People’s Republic of China in Laoag.
Group Photo of Regional Selection Contest in Southeast Asian Region
Since its launch, the Regional Selection Contest has attracted widespread attention from university faculty members and students across diverse fields, such as education, computer science, and software design and development. After rigorous evaluation and selection, 16 teams advanced to the pre-finals. Distinguished attendees for this Regional Selection Contest included Prof. CHEN Guangju, Chairman of the Steering Committee of GCD4FE and Former Vice President of BNU; Mr. REN Faqiang, Consul and Head of Post of the Consulate of the People’s Republic of China in Laoag; Dr. Virgilio Julius Paraoan Manzano, Jr., President of MMSU; Dr. Saturnina F. Nisperos, Dean of the College of Computing and Information Sciences at MMSU; Prof. Armie C. Sabugo, Chief of Technology Business Incubation at MMSU; Dr. Napoleon B. Cacanindin, Department Chair of the Department of Information Technology at MMSU; Engr. Artbellson B. Mamuri, Chief of the Innovation and Technology Support Office at MMSU; Engr. Abegail E. Ruiz, College Secretary of the College of Engineering at MMSU; Dr. ZHANG Yifan, Post-doctor in the Faculty of Education at BNU and member of the UNESCO Chair on Artificial Intelligence in Education.
The Regional Selection Contest spanned one and a half days and featured multiple segments, including opening remarks, training session, topic report, project design, roadshow report, and the awarding ceremony. Under the professional guidance of mentors, participating teams collaborated dedicatedly to develop innovative designs. The mentor team included Prof. Armie C. Sabugo, Dr. Napoleon B. Cacanindin and Dr. ZHANG Yifan.
Group Photo of Experts and Mentors in the Regional Selection Contest in the Southeast Asian Region
The participating teams worked collaboratively under the guidance of mentors
The participating teams worked collaboratively under the guidance of mentors
At the event, Prof. CHEN Guangju delivered an opening speech on behalf of the organizers, expressing sincere gratitude to the Consulate of the People’s Republic of China in Laoag and MMSU for their strong support. He introduced the history of BNU and the role of SLIBNU in hosting the competition, while wishing all teams success in advancing to the finals in Beijing. Dr. Virgilio Julius Paraoan Manzano, Jr. emphasized that education is the key to empowering youth and shaping the future. He advocated for innovative teaching facilities and enhanced student experiences, encouraging participants to propose practical and student-centric solutions. Mr. REN Faqiang praised the event's significance in strengthening China-Philippines relations. He noted that as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of diplomatic ties between China and the Philippines, the activity was carried out with the collaboration between the two educational institutions, significantly advancing bilateral exchanges in education and continuing a tradition of mutual learning. He reaffirmed the Consulate’s ongoing support for the contest.
Prof. CHEN Guangju (left), Dr. Virgilio Julius Paraoan Manzano, Jr. (middle), and Mr. REN Faqiang (right) are delivering the opening remarks
Dr. ZHANG Yifan’s training session detailed the innovative applications of AIGC in education and illustrated its potential in topic selection, creative ideation, prototyping and expression, highlighting technology’s role in advancing education.
Dr. ZHANG Yifan is introducing the competition and providing training sessions
In the topic and roadshow reports, teams presented solutions addressing educational challenges in the Philippines through cutting-edge technologies, like AIGC and the metaverse. Projects ranged from offline smart platforms for less developed areas to metaverse-driven revolution for higher education. The judging panel is comprised of Prof. CHEN Guangju, Engr. Abegail E. Ruiz and Engr. Artbellson B. Mamuri. The judges provided tailored feedback based on creativity, practicality, and scalability, further motivating the participants’ creative design.
The participating teams are making roadshow reports
After intense competition, the awarding ceremony recognized excellence through the Gold Award, Best Design Award, Best Creativity Award, Best Practice Award, Best Presentation Award, and Most Technologically Impressive Award. Dr. Saturnina F. Nisperos, Prof. CHEN Guangju, Engr. Abegail E. Ruiz, Engr. Artbellson B. Mamuri, and mentors honored the winners at the ceremony.
Guests awarded prizes to the winners
In closing remarks, Prof. CHEN Guangju commended the teams’ innovations and thanked all guests and participants present, expressing hope for deeper collaboration between BNU and MMSU. Dr. Saturnina F. Nisperos praised the contestants’ innovative spirit and teamwork, encouraging more Filipino youth engagement in global education innovation.
Prof. CHEN Guangju and Dr. Saturnina F. Nisperos are delivering closing remarks
The Regional Selection Contest in the Southeast Asian Region concluded successfully at MMSU, showcasing groundbreaking ideas that bridge inclusive education with advanced technology. In late July, the Gold Award-winning team will proceed to the Global Finals in Beijing, joining peers worldwide to shape future education. Wishing all participants continued success in the upcoming events!
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