The wave of Artificial Intelligence is lapping at the embankment of higher education with unprecedented vigour. As access to knowledge is no longer a challenge, the traditional teacher-student relationship is undergoing qualitative change and students can acquire systematic and cutting-edge domain knowledge supported by technological tools. In this issue, CLOUD will take the lens and zoom in on the practices in the Greater Bay Area HEIs and take it as a point of departure to reveal the new dynamics and symbiosis between teaching and learning in the age of AI.

Based on the Southeast Asia Regional High-Level Policy Dialogue 2024, CLOUD Issue 9 shares innovative artificial intelligence (AI) application practices in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and other Southeast Asian countries.

This special edition of CLOUD shines a light on practitioners with a perspective on the value, key questions, and limitations of micro-credentials in diverse settings. While there are well-documented examples of micro-credential usage in Europe and North America, how do most of the world’s young learners in Asia-Pacific and beyond navigate a complex array of options to improve themselves and their job outlook? The contributors to this edition offer insights into how our global community faces common challenges to develop and manage quality micro-credentials that deliver value for learners and society.

As essential players in higher education digital transformation, university teachers and their adaptability to digital technology will determine the effectiveness of the digital transformation practices. To build university teachers' digital capacity, there is a variety of actions and reflections among higher education stakeholders across the globe. Having collected cases and stories from 13 countries and regions, the sixth issue of CLOUD aims to introduce these local practices to our global audience by articles, interviews, or infographics in brand-new design. This issue also invites some of the most renowned experts in the field, including Andreas Schleicher and Brian Beatty, to contribute relevant content.

On the occasion of the successful conclusion of the third World Higher Education Conference (WHEC2022) in Barcelona, UNESCO-ICHEI officially launched the special issue of CLOUD on WHEC2022. Through four thematic sections, CLOUD expects to take readers through the 20-year history of WHEC2022, interpret the important outcome documents, overview the data related to the current status of higher education, and review the meetings held by UNESCO-ICHEI at the Conference in depth. The CLOUD Special Issue also has interactive features to deliver resources. Readers may use the camera function of digital devices to scan the QR code to enjoy a variety of extended contents.

The third issue of CLOUD focuses on Africa and West Asia Region, with the theme of "Back to the Basics: Quality Assurance for the Futures of Higher Education". Based on the outcome of the International Institute of Online Education (IIOE) Partnership Meeting 2021 (Africa and West Asia) and the International Institute of Online Education (IIOE) Quality Assurance 2.0 Consultation Meeting, the third issue focuses on the latest IIOE Quality Assurance 2.0 released by UNESCO-ICHEI, initiating a series of discussions around building, promoting, and supporting an ecosystem of institutions for online and blended teaching and learning (OBTL). The issue also recorded actions and experiences of IIOE's partner HEIs in Africa and West Asia to ensure continuity and quality of higher education during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as good practices of how IIOE supported partner HEIs in West Asia and Africa in online and blended higher education and digital transformation.