China and the UK Promote Digital Transformation in Vocational Education: A New Chapter for the Association of Education and Technology
On October 31, the 25th China International Education Conference opened at the National Convention Center in Beijing, gathering leaders from government authorities, diplomats, heads of international education organizations, top university presidents, and industry leaders from over 60 countries and regions. This event provided a platform for educators to share advanced educational ideas from around the world.
High-ranking officials from China, including Ding Zhongli, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and Chairman of the China Association for Promoting Democracy, Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng (who addressed via video), and Liu Limin, President of the China Education Association for International Exchange, attended the conference, highlighting China’s commitment to educational internationalization. The impressive international guest lineup included the French Minister for Higher Education and Research Patrick Étzel (who delivered a video address), French Ambassador to China Bertrand Bouhourdes, Margaret Gardner, Governor of Victoria, Australia, and Alan Goodman, CEO of the Institute of International Education, USA.
Esteemed academic leaders such as Huang Ru, President of Southeast University, and Pan Jianwei, Executive Vice President of the University of Science and Technology of China (who also spoke via video), shared their insights, demonstrating the conference’s influence and authority in the global educational community.
At this forum, the Association of Education and Technology (AET) signed a formal cooperation agreement with the Tianjin Association for International Education Exchange.
Wu Yinxia, Executive Chair of AET’s China Division, and Dai Yuwei, Vice President of the Tianjin Association, witnessed the signing. Both parties expressed their commitment to advancing the digital transformation of vocational education through resource-sharing and technological collaboration.
AET also formalized an agreement with Zhejiang Institute of Economics and Trade to launch the China-UK “EMI All-English Teaching Capacity Improvement Program.” President Yu Chuang of Zhejiang Institute and AET Chair Wu Yinxia jointly initiated the project, hoping to cultivate international educators with a global perspective and linguistic skills. This center will focus on enhancing teachers’ English-language teaching abilities, relying on AET-provided EMI (English Medium Instruction) resources and courses. The online training will help teachers develop cross-cultural communication skills, English teaching competencies, and adaptability to international classrooms, addressing the global needs of vocational education.
On the morning of the event, the list of the first batch of youth sustainable development education school alliances was officially released, including 78 schools from all over the country. Sabrina WU, executive chairman of the The Association of Education and Technology, was honored to be invited by the organizer to participate in the launching ceremony as a guest.
AET advocates for interactive digital platforms and resources to support students’ personalized learning pathways, preparing them for future work environments. The initiative also involves creating an ecosystem supporting the digitalization of vocational education through institutional, industry, and governmental partnerships. This ecosystem would encompass resource sharing, establishing industry standards, and policy support, fostering a conducive environment for digital progress. Since 2020, AET has promoted digital literacy training for educators across Chinese institutions, leveraging best practices from the UK, Germany, and Finland to establish a systematic training framework, laying the foundation for China’s vocational education digital transformation.