From May 11 to 13, the 2026 World Digital Education Conference, themed “AI+Education: Transformation, Development, Governance,” was held in Hangzhou, China. The conference was Co-hosted by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China and the Zhejiang Provincial People’s Government. Prof. Zhou Zuoyu, Vice Chairman the Beijing Normal University Council and Director of the UNESCO INRULED, was invited to attend the conference.
The Second Meeting of the First Council of the World Digital Education Alliance
On May 11, Prof. Zhou Zuoyu attended the Second Meeting of the First Council of the World Digital Education Alliance, he delivered a special presentation titled “Top Ten Cases of World Digital Education Innovation – Scenario-Driven AI+Education Transformation.” He introduced ten outstanding cases of typical AI+education scenarios and elaborated on the concurrently ongoing compilation work of the “World Digital Education Innovation Case Collection.” These exemplary cases will provide practical and feasible references for countries worldwide to advance their digital transformation in education and will be officially released at the Closing Ceremony of the conference as one of its core outcomes.
2026 General Assembly of the World Digital Education Alliance
Prof. Zhou Zuoyu chaired the 2026 General Assembly of the World Digital Education Alliance. Representatives from 144 member institutions across more than 40 countries and regions attended the meeting, reviewing and adopting the alliance’s 2025 work report, special reports, work plan, and important documents, including the “Ethical Framework for AI in Education,” “AI Education Application Systems,” and “Essential Elements for AI-Enabled Smart Campuses.”
Parallel Forum 4 “Preparing Teachers for Future Schools”
On May 12, Prof. Zhou Zuoyu attended the parallel forum 4 “Preparing Teachers for Future Schools” and witnessed the launch of the “Global South Teacher Digital Literacy Enhancement Action Plan.” Initiated by the Africa Institute of the Global Teacher Development Institute, this plan is the world’s first international action plan specifically aimed at enhancing teacher digital literacy in Global South countries. It aims to systematically assist developing nations in addressing common challenges during their digital transformation in education, representing a concrete initiative by China to deepen South-South cooperation and participate in global education governance.
Prof. Zhou Zuoyu also held a working meeting with Professor Tippawan Lorsuwannarat, President of the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) in Thailand, and her delegation. They discussed potential collaboration areas such as joint training and cooperative education, teacher and student exchanges, skills enhancement and capacity-building projects, and collaborative research.
During the conference, Prof. Zhou Zuoyu and his delegation conducted a field visit to the Rural Community Learning Center (CLC) project site and the Jiangcun Subdistrict Community School under the Xihu District Community College in Hangzhou. They toured the “Xixi Silver Hair Mall” Smart Life Experience Zone for seniors, the Intangible Cultural Heritage Corridor, the “Yuanxiang Eight Graces” calligraphy and painting classroom, and the dynamic course area, gaining insights into the innovative practice of technology empowering the silver economy within the “health-wellness-learning” integration framework. Prof. Zhou noted that the Community Learning Centre (CLC) initiative is one of INRULED’s flagship programmes. The community education practices observed in Xihu District, which deeply integrate digital technologies into all community learning scenarios and respond precisely to residents’ lifelong learning needs, provide valuable references for the development of Community Learning Centres, as well as grassroots-level examples for addressing population ageing and advancing digital transformation in education globally.