＂Youth Enlightenment: Student Forum on Innovation Design in Human-AI Collaboration＂ Successfully Held
date：2025-09-01 15:38author：adminsource：Smart Learning Instituteviews：
On the afternoon of August 20 (UTC+8), the "Youth Enlightenment: Student Forum on Innovation Design in Human-AI Collaboration," a forum focusing on the cutting-edge theme of Human-AI Symbiosis, was successfully held at Beijing Normal University. As a key component of the 2025 Global Smart Education Conference, this forum actively responded to the global initiative on "the Futures of Education" by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The forum brought together outstanding youth representatives from around the world, including China, the Philippines, the Maldives, Slovenia, and Azerbaijan. It also featured esteemed experts and scholars, who participated both online and offline. Invited guests included Natalia Amelina, Senior National Project Officer at the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (UNESCO IITE), AN Lili, Deputy Secretary of the Youth League Committee of Beijing Normal University, Prof. Curtis J. Bonk from Indiana University, Prof. Diana Laurillard from University College London, Prof. Ayham Boucher from Cornell University, and LIU Yingjian, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Institute of Curriculum and Instruction at Beijing Normal University. Together, they explored the future of education in an era where Generative AI (GenAI) is profoundly reshaping the paradigm of human-AI interaction.
Group photo of the Student Forum
Global Vision: Co-authoring a New Chapter in Future Education
Prof. Curtis J. Bonk from Indiana University, USA, praised the professionalism and confidence of the young students as early-career researchers. He offered valuable advice and aspirations for all future educators: collaborate with positive and productive People; integrate clear learning Principles into design; always value and enhance the ability to shift Perspectives; Persistently Publish research findings; and maintain a Positive Attitude when facing challenges. Prof. Bonk's sharing not only refined and elevated the forum's outcomes but also served as a great inspiration for global youth to devote themselves to the cause of future educational innovation.
Prof. Curtis J. Bonk, Indiana University
Ms. Natalia Amelina, Senior National Project Officer at UNESCO IITE, emphasized that the symbiotic integration of humans and AI signals a fundamental reshaping of the educational ecosystem. However, she noted that it also faces challenges such as resistance from educators, the risk of over-reliance on AI weakening students' critical thinking, and issues of educational equity related to data privacy and high costs. She shared how UNESCO IITE is promoting human-centric, student-centered AI education design through projects like a multilingual professional development platform for teachers and called upon all parties to jointly embark on this exciting journey of educational exploration.
Ms. Natalia Amelina, Senior National Project Officer at UNESCO IITE, delivered an opening remark
Ms. AN Lili, Deputy Secretary of the Youth League Committee of Beijing Normal University, pointed out that in the face of a new wave of technological revolution, China is forging new paths and shaping new advantages through the digital transformation of education. As a leader in teacher education, Beijing Normal University has launched a series of innovations, such as the educational large models, to actively promote educational transforming. She stressed that young students are the most creative pioneers in this grand transformation and looked forward to them, as participants, designers, and co-creators of educational change, contributing their wisdom on the four major themes of "Cognitive Symbiosis," "Developmental Symbiosis," "Social Symbiosis," and "Ecological Symbiosis" to jointly craft a sustainable educational blueprint for the harmonious coexistence of humanity and technology.
Ms. AN Lili, Deputy Secretary of the Youth League Committee of Beijing Normal University, delivered an opening remark
Prof. Curtis J. Bonk, Indiana University
Ms. Natalia Amelina, Senior National Project Officer at UNESCO IITE, emphasized that the symbiotic integration of humans and AI signals a fundamental reshaping of the educational ecosystem. However, she noted that it also faces challenges such as resistance from educators, the risk of over-reliance on AI weakening students' critical thinking, and issues of educational equity related to data privacy and high costs. She shared how UNESCO IITE is promoting human-centric, student-centered AI education design through projects like a multilingual professional development platform for teachers and called upon all parties to jointly embark on this exciting journey of educational exploration.
Ms. Natalia Amelina, Senior National Project Officer at UNESCO IITE, delivered an opening remark
Ms. AN Lili, Deputy Secretary of the Youth League Committee of Beijing Normal University, pointed out that in the face of a new wave of technological revolution, China is forging new paths and shaping new advantages through the digital transformation of education. As a leader in teacher education, Beijing Normal University has launched a series of innovations, such as the educational large models, to actively promote educational transforming. She stressed that young students are the most creative pioneers in this grand transformation and looked forward to them, as participants, designers, and co-creators of educational change, contributing their wisdom on the four major themes of "Cognitive Symbiosis," "Developmental Symbiosis," "Social Symbiosis," and "Ecological Symbiosis" to jointly craft a sustainable educational blueprint for the harmonious coexistence of humanity and technology.
Ms. AN Lili, Deputy Secretary of the Youth League Committee of Beijing Normal University, delivered an opening remark
Cognitive Symbiosis: GenAI Reshaping Learning Methods and Mindsets
Mr. Marc Joseph B. Sacopaso, an undergraduate student from Mariano Marcos State University in the Philippines and a representative of the Gold Award team from the 8th Global Competition on Design for Future Education (GCD4FE), began the discussion from a thought-provoking philosophical perspective. Using the local saying "Bahala na si Batman" (Let Batman handle it), he vividly pointed out the current societal mindset of "Let AI handle it," warning that this outsourcing of responsibility could lead to a decline in critical thinking. He advocated for a new symbiotic relationship of "Let me and AI handle it together," where AI should act as a "co-pilot" and "mentor," not a "master." He imaginatively proposed the "YourTwin" concept, which uses mirror and shadow twin AI partners to challenge and expand students' thinking, achieving personalized cognitive enhancement.
Mr. Marc Joseph B. Sacopaso, Undergraduate Student, Mariano Marcos State University, Philippines
Ms. SONG Haixin, a postgraduate student from Tianjin University, offered an empirical perspective, sharing a meta-analysis based on 30 experimental and quasi-experimental studies from around the world to systematically investigate whether GenAI can enhance students' critical thinking. The study found that GenAI does have a significant positive impact on students' critical thinking, but the effects vary: it is more effective in Asian cultural contexts, shows the most significant improvement for university students, and its application in complex problem-solving (like PBL learning) is far superior to simple information retrieval. The most crucial finding was that the "human-AI collaboration" model is far more effective than the "AI-led" model, a conclusion that powerfully affirms the irreplaceable leading role of humans in intelligent education.
Ms. SONG Haixin, Postgraducate Student, Tianjin University
Ms. YUAN Yongqi, a postgraduate student from Central China Normal University, transitioned from theory and evidence to practical application, using the "Xiaoya" intelligent teaching platform as an example to demonstrate how knowledge graph technology empowers personalized learning. She detailed how students engage in deep interaction with AI through functions like autonomous knowledge exploration, personalized resource recommendations, and dynamic learning path adjustments. She further noted that for personalized learning to be truly effective, students must meet three challenges: developing efficient, prudent, and ethical AI literacy; fostering the intrinsic motivation to ask questions; and mastering metacognitive skills for self-regulation. The future ecosystem of personalized learning requires the joint transformation and upgrading of the roles of AI, students, and teachers.
Ms. YUAN Yongqi, Postgraduate Student, Central China Normal University
Mr. Marc Joseph B. Sacopaso, Undergraduate Student, Mariano Marcos State University, Philippines
Ms. SONG Haixin, a postgraduate student from Tianjin University, offered an empirical perspective, sharing a meta-analysis based on 30 experimental and quasi-experimental studies from around the world to systematically investigate whether GenAI can enhance students' critical thinking. The study found that GenAI does have a significant positive impact on students' critical thinking, but the effects vary: it is more effective in Asian cultural contexts, shows the most significant improvement for university students, and its application in complex problem-solving (like PBL learning) is far superior to simple information retrieval. The most crucial finding was that the "human-AI collaboration" model is far more effective than the "AI-led" model, a conclusion that powerfully affirms the irreplaceable leading role of humans in intelligent education.
Ms. SONG Haixin, Postgraducate Student, Tianjin University
Ms. YUAN Yongqi, a postgraduate student from Central China Normal University, transitioned from theory and evidence to practical application, using the "Xiaoya" intelligent teaching platform as an example to demonstrate how knowledge graph technology empowers personalized learning. She detailed how students engage in deep interaction with AI through functions like autonomous knowledge exploration, personalized resource recommendations, and dynamic learning path adjustments. She further noted that for personalized learning to be truly effective, students must meet three challenges: developing efficient, prudent, and ethical AI literacy; fostering the intrinsic motivation to ask questions; and mastering metacognitive skills for self-regulation. The future ecosystem of personalized learning requires the joint transformation and upgrading of the roles of AI, students, and teachers.
Ms. YUAN Yongqi, Postgraduate Student, Central China Normal University
Developmental Symbiosis: GenAI Driving the Cultivation of Future Core Competencies
Mr. CHEN Tianyang, a postgraduate student from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, took a unique approach by suggesting that before embracing change, we should explore the unchanging core of education, namely core moral values and fundamental abilities like curiosity and critical thinking. He shared how film-making, the "ninth art," can guide children to view AI as a "Playmate" for dialogue and debate, rather than a tool, thereby protecting and stimulating creativity through free trial and error.
Mr. CHEN Tianyang, Postgraduate Student, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Mr. ZHONG Ziquan, an undergraduate student from South China Normal University, extended the perspective to educational equity and teacher development. He shared how the "Kexing Nanyue" project uses GenAI, knowledge graphs, and VR technology to create a resource center for rural primary school science teachers, providing personalized lesson plans and immersive virtual experiments. This has effectively enhanced the digital literacy of rural teachers, demonstrating technology's immense potential in bridging the urban-rural educational divide.
Mr. ZHONG Ziquan, Undergraduate Student, South China Normal University
Mr. LIU Fan, a postgraduate student from the University of Manchester, UK, delved into a more forward-looking concept: the "AI Citizen." Drawing on his own experiences in virtual museum design, robotics lab visits, and advising on AI education policy for Bangladesh, he vividly illustrated how learners can transform from passive knowledge recipients into proactive future citizens who use AI to solve real-world social problems, equipped with a global perspective and a sense of social responsibility.
Mr. LIU Fan, postgraduate student, The University of Manchester
Ms. GUAN Jiaxin, an undergraduate student from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, brought the focus back to the frontline of primary education classrooms. Through solid research on primary school English teachers and students, she revealed practical challenges, such as students tending to treat AI as an "answer machine" and skipping independent thinking. In response, she collaborated with teachers to design an AI-integrated course that guides students to use AI to generate materials for creative redesign. This successfully combined language learning with the cultivation of technological literacy and logical thinking, emphasizing the fundamental principles of human leadership and core competency development with AI assistance.
Ms. GUAN Jiaxin, Undergraduate Student, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Mr. CHEN Tianyang, Postgraduate Student, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Mr. ZHONG Ziquan, an undergraduate student from South China Normal University, extended the perspective to educational equity and teacher development. He shared how the "Kexing Nanyue" project uses GenAI, knowledge graphs, and VR technology to create a resource center for rural primary school science teachers, providing personalized lesson plans and immersive virtual experiments. This has effectively enhanced the digital literacy of rural teachers, demonstrating technology's immense potential in bridging the urban-rural educational divide.
Mr. ZHONG Ziquan, Undergraduate Student, South China Normal University
Mr. LIU Fan, a postgraduate student from the University of Manchester, UK, delved into a more forward-looking concept: the "AI Citizen." Drawing on his own experiences in virtual museum design, robotics lab visits, and advising on AI education policy for Bangladesh, he vividly illustrated how learners can transform from passive knowledge recipients into proactive future citizens who use AI to solve real-world social problems, equipped with a global perspective and a sense of social responsibility.
Mr. LIU Fan, postgraduate student, The University of Manchester
Ms. GUAN Jiaxin, an undergraduate student from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, brought the focus back to the frontline of primary education classrooms. Through solid research on primary school English teachers and students, she revealed practical challenges, such as students tending to treat AI as an "answer machine" and skipping independent thinking. In response, she collaborated with teachers to design an AI-integrated course that guides students to use AI to generate materials for creative redesign. This successfully combined language learning with the cultivation of technological literacy and logical thinking, emphasizing the fundamental principles of human leadership and core competency development with AI assistance.
Ms. GUAN Jiaxin, Undergraduate Student, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Social Symbiosis: GenAI Fostering Cross-Cultural and Intergenerational Connections
Ms. Aishath Alya Binth Shahid, an undergraduate student from Villa College, Maldives, and a representative of a winning team from the 8th GCD4FE, focused on the common pain point of social anxiety. She pointed out that a large number of students worldwide are "silenced" in collaborative settings due to anxiety, representing a significant loss of vitality for social innovation. She vividly compared AI to "Training Wheels" for learning to ride a bike, providing real-time, private guidance to help users build confidence and eventually participate in social interactions independently. Her sharing profoundly revealed the social value of AI: it is not meant to replace human emotion but to empower every voice to be heard through technology, achieving more equitable social participation.
Ms. Aishath Alya Binth Shahid, Undergraduate Student, Villa College, Maldives)
Ms. WU Jiaying, a postgraduate student from the University of Southern California, USA, took a macro perspective, analyzing the differences in human-AI collaboration models under various cultural and institutional contexts by comparing AI education practices in Chinese and American universities. She proposed a future-oriented "Learner-led" framework for human-AI collaboration, advocating for students to critically lead the use of AI tools driven by clear goals, and to engage in cross-cultural collaboration and knowledge co-creation under effective institutional supervision. This provides a clear guide for building a new paradigm for higher education in a multicultural context.
Ms. WU Jiaying, Postgraduate Student, The University of Southern California
Ms. Eva Ekart, an undergraduate student from the University of Maribor, Slovenia, and a representative of a winning team from the 8th GCD4FE, presented an innovative and humanistic concept: the "Skill Match" platform. She astutely observed the "skills gap" between generations and proposed using AI as an efficient "connector" to allow young people and seniors to become each other's teachers and students, sharing skills and recreating "the village effect" in the digital age. This concept is not just about skill exchange but also about emotional connection and community building, vividly illustrating how technology can serve intergenerational harmony.
Ms. Eva Ekart, Undergraduate Student, The University of Maribor, Slovenia
Mr. Murad Aliyev, a PhD student at Beijing Normal University from Azerbaijan, shared a transnational practice from "localization" to "global collaboration," using his team's "Mind Made" AI teaching assistant as an example. He provided an in-depth analysis of the cultural and curricular challenges faced when adapting an AI tool designed for Chinese teachers for use in the Azerbaijani education system. He demonstrated the feasibility of achieving cross-cultural technology transfer through deep localization, emphasizing that true social symbiosis must be built on deep respect for and adaptation to local needs.
Mr. Murad Aliyev, PhD Student, Beijing Normal University, Azerbaijan
Ms. Aishath Alya Binth Shahid, Undergraduate Student, Villa College, Maldives)
Ms. WU Jiaying, a postgraduate student from the University of Southern California, USA, took a macro perspective, analyzing the differences in human-AI collaboration models under various cultural and institutional contexts by comparing AI education practices in Chinese and American universities. She proposed a future-oriented "Learner-led" framework for human-AI collaboration, advocating for students to critically lead the use of AI tools driven by clear goals, and to engage in cross-cultural collaboration and knowledge co-creation under effective institutional supervision. This provides a clear guide for building a new paradigm for higher education in a multicultural context.
Ms. WU Jiaying, Postgraduate Student, The University of Southern California
Ms. Eva Ekart, an undergraduate student from the University of Maribor, Slovenia, and a representative of a winning team from the 8th GCD4FE, presented an innovative and humanistic concept: the "Skill Match" platform. She astutely observed the "skills gap" between generations and proposed using AI as an efficient "connector" to allow young people and seniors to become each other's teachers and students, sharing skills and recreating "the village effect" in the digital age. This concept is not just about skill exchange but also about emotional connection and community building, vividly illustrating how technology can serve intergenerational harmony.
Ms. Eva Ekart, Undergraduate Student, The University of Maribor, Slovenia
Mr. Murad Aliyev, a PhD student at Beijing Normal University from Azerbaijan, shared a transnational practice from "localization" to "global collaboration," using his team's "Mind Made" AI teaching assistant as an example. He provided an in-depth analysis of the cultural and curricular challenges faced when adapting an AI tool designed for Chinese teachers for use in the Azerbaijani education system. He demonstrated the feasibility of achieving cross-cultural technology transfer through deep localization, emphasizing that true social symbiosis must be built on deep respect for and adaptation to local needs.
Mr. Murad Aliyev, PhD Student, Beijing Normal University, Azerbaijan
Ecological Symbiosis: GenAI Innovating Future Learning Fields and Ecosystems
Ms. LIU Yingyu, a postgraduate student from Columbia University, USA, and a representative of a winning team from the 8th GCD4FE, first presented her team's design of the "InnoHolo Space." This design aims to break through the "high cost of trial and error" in traditional classrooms. By combining Augmented Reality (AR) and an AI mentor, it immerses students in problem scenarios to "get their hands dirty" with creative ideas. The core role of the AI is to simulate the dynamic consequences of students' proposed solutions in real-time and guide them to reflect and iterate. This design transforms learning from "memorizing knowledge" to "creating and practicing," building a future learning field that encourages bold exploration and deep thinking.
Ms. LIU Yingyu, Postgraduate Student, Columbia University
Mr. LI Yifeng, a postgraduate student at Beijing Normal University and a representative of a winning team from the 8th GCD4FE, expanded the vision from an intelligent learning field to a grander, more authentic learning Ecosystem. He shared the "Immersive Forest" project conducted at the Wuyanling National Nature Reserve in Zhejiang. Facing the real-world challenges of ecological conservation, his team designed an interactive platform integrating AI image recognition and the Internet of Things. It skillfully connects researchers, local residents, and tourists, transforming citizen science observation data into resources for scientific research and ecotourism. This forms a virtuous cycle of harmonious coexistence between humans, nature, and technology, vividly illustrating how to build a smart learning community that transcends classroom boundaries.
Mr. LI Yifeng, Postgraduate Student, Beijing Normal University
The presentations from the participating students fully demonstrated their immense potential and sense of responsibility as "co-designers" of future education. With their broad international perspectives, rigorous scientific spirit, and profound humanistic care, they contributed a rich, diverse, and vibrant set of youth-led solutions to the contemporary theme of "Human-AI Symbiosis," collectively painting a new picture of future education where humans and AI advance in harmony, dedicated to the holistic development of all individuals.
Ms. LIU Yingyu, Postgraduate Student, Columbia University
Mr. LI Yifeng, a postgraduate student at Beijing Normal University and a representative of a winning team from the 8th GCD4FE, expanded the vision from an intelligent learning field to a grander, more authentic learning Ecosystem. He shared the "Immersive Forest" project conducted at the Wuyanling National Nature Reserve in Zhejiang. Facing the real-world challenges of ecological conservation, his team designed an interactive platform integrating AI image recognition and the Internet of Things. It skillfully connects researchers, local residents, and tourists, transforming citizen science observation data into resources for scientific research and ecotourism. This forms a virtuous cycle of harmonious coexistence between humans, nature, and technology, vividly illustrating how to build a smart learning community that transcends classroom boundaries.
Mr. LI Yifeng, Postgraduate Student, Beijing Normal University
The presentations from the participating students fully demonstrated their immense potential and sense of responsibility as "co-designers" of future education. With their broad international perspectives, rigorous scientific spirit, and profound humanistic care, they contributed a rich, diverse, and vibrant set of youth-led solutions to the contemporary theme of "Human-AI Symbiosis," collectively painting a new picture of future education where humans and AI advance in harmony, dedicated to the holistic development of all individuals.
Gathering Youth Wisdom to Co-create the Futures of Education
Prior to this event, as another important segment of the 2025 Global Smart Education Conference, a preliminary "Youth Enlightenment Student Forum" was planned, organized, and executed by students themselves. It attracted over 90 young researchers—including undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD students—from more than 20 universities worldwide. They engaged in in-depth exploration of six cutting-edge areas, including the deep integration of generative AI with subject-specific teaching, the development of teachers' digital literacy, the application and ecological transformation of human-AI collaborative education, and innovation in educational governance and teaching models. Through a peer-review process, 26 papers were selected for the "Youth Enlightenment Outstanding Paper Award," and the winners were invited to be recognized at this "Student Forum on Innovation Design in Human-AI Collaboration." From the initial widespread call for papers to the focused presentations at this forum, we have clearly witnessed the immense academic enthusiasm, outstanding organizational skills, and profound historical insight of contemporary young researchers. Their actions and thoughts prove that the future of education is not shaped by technology or policy alone, but rather emerges from the continuous dialogue between human creativity, ethical responsibility, and technological possibility.
Winners of the 2025GSE "Youth Enlightenment Outstanding Paper Award"
Prof. Curtis J. Bonk from Indiana University presented awards to winning youths
Prof. Diana Laurillard of University College London presented awards to winning youths
Ms. LIU Yingjian of Beijing Normal University presented awards to winning youths
This student forum was co-organized by UNESCO IITE, the Student Union of Beijing Normal University, the Graduate Student Union of Beijing Normal University, and the Smart Learning Institute of Beijing Normal University. It was co-hosted by Ms. HU Zhaoshan, a postgraduate student from Tsinghua University, and Ms. Samaneh Lahuti, a PhD student from Beijing Normal University.
Ms. HU Zhaoshan, Postgraduate Student, Tsinghua University
Ms. Samaneh Lahuti, Beijing Normal University, Ph.D. Student
Ms. HU Zhaoshan, Postgraduate Student, Tsinghua University
Ms. Samaneh Lahuti, Beijing Normal University, Ph.D. Student
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