On April 23, 2025, the International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI) and the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (UNESCO IITE) jointly launched the Russian version of the International Institute of Online Education (IIOE) learning platform and Micro-Certification courses in Russian. The event attracted over 1000 higher education educators and administrators from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Moldova, Bulgaria, and other countries.

On-site photo of attendees from UNESCO-ICHEI

As an open learning platform dedicated to improving the digital and AI literacy of higher education workforce worldwide, IIOE was jointly developed by UNESCO-ICHEI in collaboration with the Chinese tech company Zhixueyun, which provides technical support and platform maintenance. To better address the learning needs of higher education professionals in Russian-speaking countries, UNESCO-ICHEI will partner with UNESCO IITE to jointly operationalize the Russian version of the IIOE platform. This partnership aims to deliver accessible, inclusive, and cutting-edge educational resources to Central Asia and other Russian-speaking countries.

Russian version of IIOE and its Micro-Certification courses in Russian

During the opening ceremony, Mr. Tao ZHAN, Director of UNESCO IITE, noted that the Russian version of the IIOE platform and its Micro-Certification courses represent a significant outcome of the collaboration between UNESCO IITE and UNESCO-ICHEI. He emphasized that these resources will play a crucial role in supporting the digital transformation of higher education in Russian-speaking countries. Mr. Zhan also noted that Generative AI introduces both new opportunities and challenges, underscoring the importance of international collaboration to foster an inclusive and forward-looking learning ecosystem. Ms. Xiaohan BI, Deputy Director of UNESCO-ICHEI, reaffirmed that UNESCO-ICHEI will continue to build on the Russian version of IIOE to promote the co-development and sharing of high-quality educational resources across Central Asia and other Russian-speaking countries. She also emphasized UNESCO-ICHEI’s commitment to accelerating the integration of AI in higher education throughout the region and beyond.

Mr. Tao ZHAN, Director of UNESCO IITE

Ms. Xiaohan BI, Deputy Director of UNESCO-ICHEI

Ms. Lan YANG, Programme Officer at the IIOE Management Centre, showcased the platform’s functionality and educational resources through live operational demonstrations and course walkthroughs. Mr. Yifan XU, Course Product Manager at the IIOE Management Centre, presented the IIOE AI course framework, outlining its learning pathways and structure.

Ms. Lan YANG, Programme Officer of IIOE Management Centre

Mr. Yifan XU, Course Product Manager of IIOE Management Centre

Mr. Ivan Pechishchev, Associate Professor at Perm State University (Russia) and media education expert, provided an in-depth interpretation of the two newly released IIOE Micro-Certification courses in Russian, namely “Generative Artificial Intelligence as a Teaching Tool in Higher Education” and “Prompt Engineering for Higher Education Teachers”. He noted that both courses are closely aligned with real-world teaching practices and offer practical guidance for the higher education workforce in Russian-speaking countries on how to apply AI tools effectively.

Mr. Ivan Pechishchev, Associate Professor at Perm State University

Moving forward, UNESCO-ICHEI and UNESCO IITE will continue to leverage the Russian version of IIOE to provide training resources for higher education professionals in Central Asia and other Russian-speaking countries. This initiative aims to empower educators with digital and AI literacy, thereby accelerating the development of higher education in the region through technological innovation and the sharing of open resources.

About UNESCO IITE

In November 1997, the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education was officially established. The institute is located in Moscow, Russia, and is committed to promoting innovative applications of information and communication technologies in member countries and promoting the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4); to promoting pedagogies and best practices supported by information and communication technologies to encourage teachers in member countries to improve the quality of education; to unleashing the potential of information and communication technologies to promote educational transformation, through global dialogue and networking. As a category I institution of UNESCO, IITE has established a strong network of partners globally and is one of the important partners of UNESCO-ICHEI. It is also an important support for UNESCO-ICHEI to carry out project cooperation in Central Asia and other Russian-speaking countries.

download the recording of this event:https://www.iioe.org/#/knowledge/index