2025 World Digital Education Conference to unveil smart education white paper

The 2025 World Digital Education Conference will be held from May 14 to 16 in Wuhan, Hubei province, where five major achievements in education digitalization will be unveiled, education officials said on Friday.

Jointly organized by China's Ministry of Education, the National Commission of China for UNESCO, and the Hubei provincial government, the conference will be held under the theme Educational Development and Transformation: The Era of Intelligence.

At a media briefing in Beijing, Yang Dan, director of the ministry's Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges, said the agenda will focus on cutting-edge technologies, policy mechanisms, digital ethics, and the promotion of practical applications.

The conference will feature an opening ceremony, plenary and parallel sessions, a closing ceremony and school visits. An immersive digital exhibition showcasing global education achievements will run simultaneously.

Shu Hua, deputy director of the ministry's Department of Science, Technology and Informatization, said the conference will introduce five digital education outcomes, including the release of a white paper on smart education in China and the launch of the national digital education strategy 2.0.

Other highlights include the alliance standard for a general reference framework on large education models, the global digital education development index 2025, and the top 10 global hot topics in digital education research, Shu said.

Yang Jun, secretary general of the China Education Association for International Exchange, said the World Digital Education Alliance, which was established during last year's conference, will hold its first general assembly in Wuhan.

As of April this year, the alliance has 115 members from 43 countries and regions, including international organizations, universities, research institutions, and leading enterprises across the education sector.

Special guests expected at the event include senior officials from countries such as Cambodia, education ministers from more than 30 countries including the UK, Brazil and South Africa, ambassadors to China from countries like New Zealand, and representatives from major international organizations such as UNESCO and UNICEF.

Nobel and Turing Award laureates, along with presidents of renowned global universities, are also scheduled to attend.