BGI Group · 2025 IIOE Pioneer Case Award Winners Announced
The "IIOE Higher Education Digitalisation Pioneer Case Award" (hereinafter referred to as "the Pioneer Award") is established by the International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (hereinafter referred to as "UNESCO-ICHEI") to promote digital transformation of higher education. The Pioneer Award strives to recognise the latest developments and innovative practices among IIOE partners, and rewards teams and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to this effort.
The 2025 Pioneer Award, generously sponsored by BGI Group, is themed "IIOE Ecosystem-driven Promising Practices: Empowering Workforce, Innovation, and Collaboration", which aims to recognise achievements of teams and individuals of IIOE partners, who are pioneering IIOE flagship projects to facilitate digital transformation, while also recognizing the collective progress and innovative outcomes achieved through collaboration within the IIOE ecosystem.
01 From Nearly 100 Applications, 22 Winners Selected
Since its launch, the Pioneer Award 2025 has captured global attention, drawing 95 applications from 29 countries, including 48 higher education institutions and 13 enterprises. This enthusiastic response reflects the breadth of participation and spirit of collaboration within the IIOE global ecosystem. Each award-winning case stands as a powerful example of bold leadership and forward-thinking innovation, whether in building digital capacity for educators, advancing localized solutions, upgrading technological infrastructure, or fostering multilateral partnerships. Together, these trailblazing efforts offer practical models for transformation in higher education and provide fresh momentum for the high-quality development of countries across the Global South.
Outstanding cases will be recognized across four key categories: C1 Developing Digital and AI Competencies through IIOE Micro-certification The IIOE Micro-Certification Project for Higher Education Workforce Digital Competency Building is an IIOE flagship project. It aims to rapidly respond to the evolving demands of the digital era by strengthening the digital and AI-related skills of higher education professionals through IIOE courses, platform, and resources. The program also seeks recognition from respective government agencies or HEI supervision departments. This category recognizes outstanding cases that demonstrate innovation, equity, inclusion, and sustainability. C2 Enabling localised digital empowerment initiatives through IIOE National Centres As key hubs for organizing localized training, operations, and outreach, IIOE National Centres play a vital role in the IIOE ecosystem. Leveraging IIOE’s resources, they adapt initiatives to local needs and expand regional impact. This category honors applicants who have excelled in strengthening network development, institutional operations, sustained government engagement, and building diverse partnerships. C3 Leveraging Smart Classroom Operations for Teaching and Learning Innovation and Excellence The Smart Classroom Project is a flagship project of UNESCO-ICHEI. Through cooperation with enterprises, smart classrooms containing hardware and software facilities are donated to universities that need infrastructure to embrace digital technology to enhance their digital education quality. This category celebrates best practices in smart classroom implementation that have contributed to enhanced teaching quality, inclusive training, and integrated capacity-building for higher education professionals at both institutional and regional levels. C4 Strengthening Global Industry - university Collaboration for Higher Education Digital Empowerment Multilateral cooperation and public-private partnerships have been instrumental in building the IIOE ecosystem, with enterprises and industries playing a critical role in providing essential infrastructure. This category aims to recognize impactful university-industry collaboration cases within the IIOE partnership network, particularly in areas such as appropriate infrastructure, talent cultivation, and teacher empowerment. Following a rigorous evaluation by the expert review panel, 22 outstanding submissions have been selected—comprising 12 cases from international institutions, 4 from domestic institutions, and 4 from entreprises. In addition, 2 cases have been recognized with the Outstanding Contribution Award: Higher education institutions and international organisations Entreprises In the coming six weeks, we will continue to showcase the winning cases on our official WeChat account and website. Stay connected and be inspired!
02 Award Ceremony to Be Held in Singapore
The award ceremony will be held on September 1st in Singapore. The ceremony will convene winners together to celebrates the remarkable progress driving digital transformation in higher education,and serves as a key moment to bring together ideas, experiences, and collective strength. Through this event, we hope to create a dynamic platform for dialogue and collaboration, encouraging stakeholders from all sectors to join forces in advancing reform and innovation. Together, we aim to explore practical pathways and creative solutions for improving the quality of higher education and building a more inclusive, open, and high-performing higher education system. UNESCO-ICHEI extend sincere appreciation to BGI Group for the generous sponsoring of this year's Pioneer Award. On March 26, 2025, UNESCO-ICHEI and BGI College signed a strategic cooperation agreement. The two parties will leverage their respective advantages and conduct in-depth cooperation in the construction and sharing of course resources in life sciences and agriculture, as well as the development of micro-credential courses, jointly promoting the integrated development of life science and educational innovation. Both parties expect to upgrade the smart classroom project into professional life science laboratories, and will utilize the partner network of UNESCO-ICHEI to jointly carry out activities such as standard setting and pioneer award selection.
About Pioneer Award
The IIOE Higher Education Digitalisation Pioneer Case Award evolves in step with the rapidly changing landscape of higher education. It aims to recognize cutting-edge developments and innovative practices among IIOE partners, honoring teams and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to digital transformation. The inaugural Pioneer Award was launched in 2023 under the theme "The Reform and Innovation of Blended Learning in Higher Education", with the generous support from the BYD Charity Foundation. It received enthusiastic participation from 83 higher education institutions and 9 enterprises across 42 countries, with a total of 131 submissions. Ultimately, 22 cases were selected for the award, including 12 from international insitutions, 4 from Chinese institutions, and 6 from enterprise partners, showcasing a vibrant global commitment to innovation and progress in higher education digitalisation.
