The 25th China Annual Conference Expo for International Education (CACIE) was held in Beijing from October 31 to November 2, 2024. This conference was organised by the China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE), under the theme of "Education For All, the Unknown and the Future", with France as the country of honour. Over 5,000 representatives from the global education sector, diplomatic officials from embassies and consulates in China, and corporate delegates from more than 60 countries and regions participated in the event. The International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI) delegates attended the CACIE 2024, sharing its practice in upskilling and reskilling digital and artificial intelligence (AI) competencies for teachers and leaders in higher education institutions (HEIs) worldwide.

On the morning of 31st October 2024, Mr. DING Zhongli, Vice Chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, Chairman of the Central Committee of China Democratic League, President of Western Returned Scholars Association, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, delivered an opening speech. Mr. HUAI Jinpeng, Minister of Education of China, delivered an opening speech via video. Mr. LIU Limin, President of CEAIE, was the moderator for the opening ceremony.

Mr. DING Zhongli, Vice Chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, Chairman of the Central Committee of China Democratic League, President of Western Returned Scholars Association, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

Mr. DING Zhongli stressed that China will further advance high-standard opening-up in education, adhering to the combination of "bringing in" and "going out." This includes encouraging students to study abroad and attracting outstanding talents from overseas to come to China for academic exchanges. The aim is to expand academic cooperation and research collaboration, promote international collaborative innovation, deepen cooperation with international organizations, enhance multilateral mechanisms, and contribute Chinese strength to global education.

Mr. HUAI Jinpeng, Minister of Education of China

Mr. HUAI Jinpeng said that China consistently upholds educational opening-up and actively shares high-quality educational resources with the world. To promote global sustainable development and adapt to ongoing changes, education must empower individuals, reshape society, and lead the future. He further advocated for a broader scale of educational resource sharing, enhanced academic research quality, strengthened international cooperation, and deeper cultural exchanges.

Ms. BI Xiaohan, Deputy Director of UNESCO-ICHEI

On the afternoon of 31 October 2024, Ms. BI Xiaohan, Deputy Director of UNESCO-ICHEI, delivered a keynote speech titled "Upskilling and Reskilling Higher Education Workforce with Digital and AI Competencies: The Global Initiative of UNESCO-ICHEI" at the EduAI Forum: Future of AI in Education—a parallel forum hosted by IE University in Spain. Looking ahead, UNESCO-ICHEI will continue to deepen industry-university cooperation, South-South and triangular cooperation, multilateral cooperation, and other forms of cooperation to create a robust ecosystem for higher education development and innovation.

Ms. BI Xiaohan spoke at the forum as a panelist

In addition, Ms. BI Xiaohan shared the role of international organisations in enhancing global branding and strategic communication for institutions at the "International Vision, Innovative Thinking, and Empowering Global Presence Forum on Global Communication Capacity of Vocational Education Brands". Taking the practice of UNESCO-ICHEI as an example, the global visibility and impact of Chinese institutions can be further enhanced by international organisations through relevant projects, communication platforms and global network. This forum was jointly organised by Phoenix International Education, Shenzhen Polytechnic University, Beijing College of Finance and Commerce, and Hangzhou Vocational Technical College.