Building a shared digital education future

Amid the accelerating global digital transformation in education, China has been building diverse and multilateral exchange platforms, demonstrating its resolve and exceptional vision in advancing international cooperation on digital education.

In recent years, a host of high-profile international conferences on digital education have been held in China — such as the World Digital Education Conference, the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Education, and the Global Smart Education Conference — attracting education officials, experts, scholars and practitioners from many countries around the world.

These conferences are not only grand gatherings of ideas but also act as bridges of cooperation, where delegates delve into cutting-edge trends in digital education, explore digital education exhibitions, and share their experiences and achievements, all in the pursuit of charting a path for global digital education development.

China has also been fostering broad-based partnerships with educational institutions, universities, and enterprises worldwide. It has taken the lead in launching the World Digital Education Alliance, setting up a global, multistakeholder, multi-level and wide-ranging cooperative platform. This endeavor has laid the groundwork for international cooperation in digital education, ensuring both stability and long-term success.

Carrying out cross-domain and cross-border joint research generates intrinsic momentum for digital education innovation. Grounded in solid research, expanding academic exchange and substantive cooperation in digital education is the central driver of global digital education innovation.

China places great value on the role of joint research in international digital education cooperation. For instance, China proposed and supported the establishment of UNESCO International Institute for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in Shanghai to serve as a hub for information exchange, networking, resource sharing and capacity building in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education. The center aims to develop inclusive, equitable and high-quality STEM education for learners at every stage, from early childhood through adulthood.

Additionally, Beijing Normal University has established collaboration with the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education, the Commonwealth of Learning; the International Society for Technology in Education; the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization; and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization.

Together, these members of the Global Smart Education Network engage in joint research on the global development of smart education, organize both online and offline academic exchange activities, and produce a series of research reports. This collective effort offers diverse perspectives on advancing smart education around the globe.

Advocating the co-creation and co-sharing of digital resources and tools strengthens the key foundation of global digital education development.

In the global wave of digital transformation of education, the development of digital education resources and tools is undoubtedly the cornerstone of steady progress. China is making every effort to promote extensive sharing and coordinated development of these resources and tools, providing robust support for global digital education.

On the one hand, the National Smart Education Platform has extended its reach overseas to form the world's largest repository of teaching and learning materials. With its users spread over 200 countries and regions, it offers high-quality resources — especially to students in developing nations — standing as a prominent example of "digital sharing" and "digital public goods".

On the other hand, Chinese education technology enterprises are venturing abroad, delivering diverse, multilevel digital education solutions tailored to countries and regions at different stages of development. For example, NetDragon Websoft has partnered with the Serbian Ministry of Education and the Teacher Education Faculty at the University of Belgrade to establish the Belgrade Center for Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Education.

The center has provided digital literacy training for more than 4,000 Serbian teachers, and through augmented reality (AR) and facial recognition technologies, its interactive AR display has introduced an entirely new learning experience for students.

Promoting mutual learning and integration of development experiences broadens efficient pathways for the coordinated advancement of digital education. Over the course of digital education development, every country has its own unique and valuable experiences.

China encourages mutual learning and integration of these experiences with other nations, fostering the collective advancement of global digital education. In fact, the country has released a series of key documents to convey its perspectives and share its expertise. By sharing new insights, experiences and solutions, these initiatives help remove digital barriers, and bridge the digital divide, enabling other countries, especially developing ones, to elevate their digital education capacities.

Moreover, China is eager to learn from other countries' experiences, collaborating in fields such as digital education planning, standard setting, and monitoring and evaluation, so that all parties can learn from each other and advance together. China remains mindful of issues including intellectual property rights protection, data security management, and the prevention of digital ethics risks, thereby contributing its strength to the healthy, orderly and sustainable development of global digital education.

By deepening their participation in global education governance, countries can jointly contribute to the building of a global community with a shared future.

High-level opening-up in education is crucial for attracting global talents and resources and taking part in international competitions. It is also a key driving force behind China's endeavor to become a leading power in education, science and technology, and talent development. Looking to the global stage, China has responded to the calls of UNESCO and other international organizations for advancing digital education by supporting girls' and women's digital literacy, promoting STEM education, and focusing on priority regions such as Africa and small island nations.

China continues to deepen ties with schools, enterprises and research institutes around the world, resolutely "going global" while steadily "bringing in" a collective effort to achieve sustainable development goals in education. As a result, China's digital education "circle of friends "has kept expanding, injecting strong momentum into the global digital transformation of education and contributing to the educational dimension of a global community with a shared future.

The author is chair of the Governing Board of the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies and Education and chair professor at Smart Learning Institute of Beijing Normal University. The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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