The three-day 2024 World Digital Education Conference (WDEC) was succssfully concluded on Wednesday, 31st January, 2024, in Shanghai, China, marking a pivotal moment in the global integration of artificial intelligence (AI) within education.
Themed “Digital Education: Application, Sharing and Innovation,” the conference unveiled three significant milestones.
Firstly, the international edition of Smart Education of China, a cutting-edge online platform for educational resources, was officially launched, featuring six official languages, providing the latest information on global digital education. This initiative underscores China’s proactive stance in advocating for open educational resources (OERs), freely accessible materials designed for universal use and sharing. This proactive effort significantly contributes to enhancing the accessibility and affordability of education.
In addition, the Global Digital Education Development Index, an evaluation on the general level of digital education was released, where China’s rankings improved from 24th to 9th over the last three years.
Finally, a new seasonal English Journal, “Frontiers of Digital Education”, was released, aiming to unveil the policy trend of digital education and analyze crucial problems such as the application of Artificial Intelligence in education.
Led by China‘s Ministry of Education, the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, and the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, this collaborative initiative brought together 800 delegates from government agencies, education providers, enterprises, and diverse stakeholders across 70 countries and regions. Esteemed attendees included Wu Yan, Deputy Minister of China’s Ministry of Education, Isabel, Director of UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, Madam Camélia NTOUTOUME-LECLERCQ, Minister of National Education and Civic Training of Gabon, along with Erica, Minister of Education and Immigration of New Zealand.
The conference facilitated robust discussion on the theoretical and practical challenges of fostering a learning society in the digital age. Participants generally acknowledged the transformative potential of digital technology in education, emphasizing the imperative for global collaboration and enhanced governance to address the profound challenges posed by AI and digitalization.
As the event concluded, delegates reaffirmed their commitment to bolstering cooperation and jointly establishing an all-encompassing digital learning platform. This platform aims to provide continuous, uninterrupted learning support worldwide and envision a future of comprehensive digital learning spaces accessible with a single click, irrespective of geographical constraints.
The theme and trends communicated on the conference are highly aligned with the Global Business College of Australia (GBCA)’s strategy. We are dedicated to enriching educational resources and breaking down learning barriers. GBCA pledges ongoing dedication to these trends, continually innovating and introducing new digital learning platforms to empower students and learners in different stages of their education journey.
For more information, please check out 2024 World Digital Education Conference’s official website: https://wdec.smartedu.cn/en/