On August 20, 2024, Forum on Smart Villages and Education for Rural Transformation of the Global Smart Education Conference (GSE 2024) was held at Beijing Normal University in Beijing, China. The forum was co-organized by the UNESCO International Research and Training Centre for Rural Education (UNESCO INRULED), the Southeast Asian Ministry of Education Organization Regional Center for Technical Education Development (SEAMEO TED), the UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia (UNESCO Beijing), the Southeast Asian Ministry of Education Organization Regional Centre for STEM Education (SEAMEO STEM-ED) and the School of Education Technology of Northwest Normal University of China. Nearly 100 participants joined the forum on-site, including representatives from government agencies, experts and scholars from higher education institutions, TVET school leadership, and practitioners and representatives from international organizations from China, Australia, Sweden, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Mauritius, and six Southeast Asian countries including Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. The forum attracted over 12,000 online audience with the session being live-streamed.
The forum featured sessions including opening addresses, keynote speeches, country cases reports and round-table discussions. Participants engaged in in-depth discussions on topics including building smart villages in the digital era and leveraging digital technology to empower education transformation and sustainable rural development. Emerging research findings, country experiences, good practices and case studies from different countries and fields are explored and shared, contributing to the exploration on the strategies and pathways for leveraging digital technology to promote high-quality development of rural education and advance skills transformation for the rural population.
Opening Remarks
At the opening ceremony of the forum, Prof. Zhou Zuoyu, Vice President of Beijing Normal University and Director of the UNESCO INRULED, pointed out that filling the gap in rural education and development and promoting rural revitalization are major issues and challenges faced by many countries. He appealed to the participants to note the “digital divide” between urban and rural areas, and leverage digital technology to ensure inclusive and quality education and development in rural areas. Meanwhile, education and learning needs to be advanced to promote skill transformation and entrepreneurial skills development in rural areas so as to support talent cultivation in response to the digital and green transition of economy, and build inclusive and resilient learning villages for rural revitalization. Mr. Shahbaz Khan, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia, emphasized that promoting digital literacy, technical skills, and innovative teaching and learning to the rural youth is to equip them with the tools they need to contribute to their communities’ economic growth and social well-being, and he appealed to all countries to collaborate to transform rural education and empower rural communities to shape a better future. Dr. Bo Chankoulika, Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, Cambodia, pointed out in her speech that a large proportion of the world’s poor live in rural areas of developing countries. Building smart villages and promoting smart education can empower citizens with the knowledge, skills and mindsets that they need to thrive in the digital age, assisting them in coping with systematic challenges. The Cambodian government had made continued efforts in the digital transformation of rural education, and would continue to improve the quality of education in rural areas through promoting capacity development, building supportive system,and advancing international cooperation, etc., so as to better promote national economic development and enhance social cohesion. The opening ceremony was moderated by Dr. Zhao Yuchi, Executive Director of the UNESCO INRULED.
Keynote Speeches
In the keynote speeches session, Prof. Vinayagum Chinapah, Emeritus Professor of Stockholm University and consulting expert for the “Learning Villages in the Digital Era” programme, shared a review of relevant policies and practices, calling for the promotion of “the Learning Villages in the Digital Era”, that responds to the learning needs of rural populations with digital empowerment and emphasizes capacity development, so as to contribute to building inclusive and sustainable learning societies. Prof. Wang Libing, Chief of the Section for Education, UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok, emphasized the key role of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in rural transformation, and advocated for the promotion of social and economic growth in rural areas through TVET integration with digital and green transformation. Prof. Guo Jiong, Dean of the School of Education and Technology of Northwest Normal University, shared key models of technological empowerment to promote the balanced allocation of urban and rural educational resources. The keynote speeches session was moderated by Dr. Qi Xinjian, Programme Specialist of the UNESCO INRULED.
Country Cases Report
In this session, Dr. Morn Kritsachai Somsaman, Director of the STEM Education Center of the SEAMEO STEM-ED, shared his views on promoting STEM education initiatives in rural schools in Southeast Asia. Mr. Ricaud Auckbur, Acting Chief Technical Officer of the Ministry of Education, Mauritius, shared a specific case of Agalega Island in Mauritius overcoming geographical, transportation, economic and other objective conditions to carry out digital education. Mr. Shuai Jianzhu, Chairperson of the Returned Overseas Chinese Federation of Lin’an District of Hangzhou, shared the practice of cultivating innovative and entrepreneurial talents from the returned overseas Chinese communities to promote rural revitalization in Lin’an District. Prof. Greg Shaw, Emeritus Professor of Charles Darwin University, Australia, reviewed the history and challenges of online learning, shared successful cases and some key principles of online professional development to promote rural education. Mr. Risoi Koiyu, Executive Director of the Institute of Technical Vocational Education and Training at the University of Goroka, Papua New Guinea, shared Papua New Guinea’s efforts in rural transformation and future workforce cultivation to promote rural transformation, and hoped to achieve a brighter and fairer future through innovation, technology and community-driven approaches. The country cases report session was moderated by Mr. Khat Prumsochetra, Deputy Director of the SEAMEO TED.
Round-table Discussion
The round-table discussion session invited five country representatives from the TVET Leadership and Management Programme from five Southeast Asian countries for a thematic discussion on TVET digital transformation for sustainable rural development. The panalists include Ms. Supriatin Dra, Chairman of SMK Global Technology Vocational and Technical High School in Indonesia, Mr. Ahmad Fakhrurazi bin Haji Hamzah, Dean of the Lahad Datu Vocational College in Malaysia, Dr. Carina C. Untalasco, Principal IV of the Calasiao Comprehensive National High School of Department of Education in Philippines, Mrs. Puttachard Suphalucksana, Director of the Centre for International Education Promotion of Taksina Institute of Business and Technology in Thailand, and Assoc. Prof. Vu Van Phong, Deputy Director of the Science and Technology Office of Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education in Vietnam. As a follow-up to the Opening Symposium of the TVET Programme, the panelists further explored topics including digital technology empowering rural education, skills gaps in rural areas, vocational training and entrepreneurship skills development, digital literacy, and partnerships to promote rural education and development. Based on the sharing and exchanges of country policies and practices, consensus and commitments for developing TVET for employment, entrepreneurship and industry development for rural development are consolidated. The round-table discussion session was moderated by Ms. Fang Yuan’an, Programme Coordinator of the UNESCO INRULED.
As one of the thematic forums of the GSE 2024, this forum deepened the consensus on promoting rural education transformation and development in the digital era, leveraging technological innovations to promote educational equity and high-quality development, and promoting skills development and training to enhance the competencies and employment capabilities of the rural population to adapt to the needs of the digital and green transformation of economy. During the Conference, the TVET Leadership and Management Programme is to be held, which will feature close-door symposiums, participant presentations, group work and field visits in both Beijing and Hangzhou to enhance the leadership and management of TVET stakeholders in promoting TVET digital transformation for sustainable rural development.
During the Conference, UNESCO INRULED will also co-organize the Round Table on Women’s Leadership in the Age of AI and the Round Table on China-Africa-Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Cooperation in Smart Education.