On 11-12 November 2025, The Global Forum on Digital Transformation in TVET (Shenzhen) 2025, hosted by Shenzhen Polytechnic University and UNESCO Chair on Digitalization in TVET, was held in Shenzhen. Under the theme “Emerging Technologies Accelerate TVET Transformation, Co-creating an Inclusive and Intelligent Future”, the forum brought together international and domestic TVET policymakers, institutional leaders, industry leaders, and representatives from international organizations to discuss the frontier trends and practices of digital transformation in TVET. Ms. LIU Tianyi, Programme Coordinator of the UNESCO International Research and Training Centre for Rural Education (INRULED), was invited to attend and deliver a speech.

During "Session 4: Strengthening Global Collaboration for Equitable, Inclusive and Intelligent TVET Systems", Ms. Liu highlighted the gender dilemma in the TVET sector, noting that while women generally have higher enrolment rates in tertiary education, they remain under-represented in the TVET sector and in STEM fields. She further detailed this challenge as a set of three-dimensional barriers: "access", "skills and knowledge", and "learning opportunities". To help address these challenges, Ms. Liu introduced a cooperative initiative jointly led by Beijing Normal University, INRULED, and UNESCO. Implemented in Ghana and Tanzania, the project aims to enhance girls' digital literacy through targeted technology training, thereby narrowing the digital divide, promoting education equity, and advancing girls' empowerment. Ms. Liu called for education and innovation strategies to prioritize digital equity in rural areas and, through strengthened global cooperation, to encourage more girls and women to pursue STEM pathways in TVET, contributing to the development of an inclusive and sustainable TVET ecosystem.

INRUELD's participation in the forum not only showcased the Centre's practices in the fields of promoting youth skills development and decent employment, and advancing the digital transformation of rural education, but also further strengthened the exchange and cooperation between the INRUELD and global TVET partners, providing an important reference for building a more inclusive and equitable global TVET system.