Looking Back at 2025 | ICHEI Achievements in Localisation and Industry-Academia Integration and Beyond-UNESCO-ICHEI

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Looking Back at 2025 | ICHEI Achievements in Localisation and Industry-Academia Integration and Beyond

2025.12.31

Introduction

In 2025, the International Centre for Higher Education Innovation Under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI) marked a fruitful year that aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4. Leveraging Shenzhen's advanced digital industry and responding the demand for digital transformation in developing countries, UNESCO-ICHEI continuously empowered higher education institutions(HEI) through technological innovation and enhanced the digital and artificial intelligence (AI) competencies of the higher education workforce. Throughout the year, UNESCO-ICHEI remained committed to pragmatic action. Building upon the established ecosystem of the International Institute of Online Education (IIOE), it deepened the localisation mechanisms for competency building courses and trainings. By forging stronger ties with the industrial sector, UNESCO-ICHEI effectively established an integrated "course learning – skill certification – career placement" education-industry pathway.

In collaboration with our partner organisations, our joint endeavours have extended across 19 countries and seven sub-regions globally. We have promoted the integration of IIOE Micro-Certifications into institutional teacher training systems, launched empowerment action plans with IIOE National Centres, and introduced DeepSeek on IIOE (DS-I) teaching assistant function on the IIOE platform. These efforts have cumulatively advanced the digital and AI competencies of over 17,000 African educators. The partner network of UNESCO-ICHEI continues to expand, now comprising over 130 partner institutions, 55 international organisations, and more than 40 technology enterprises. Together, we are bridging turbulent currents through concrete actions, contributing to the achievement of UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 (the Education 2030 Agenda).

Action First: Driving the Scale-Up of IIOE Micro-Certification Training through Localisation

The past year witnessed a qualitative transformation in the localisation of the International Institute of Online Education (IIOE), with its training scale steadily expanding.

The frontier curriculum, coupled with customisation by IIOE National Centres and partner institutions, has rendered IIOE micro-certification training highly welcomed by HEIs and their host countries. It has been integrated more deeply into the capacity building and certification frameworks for higher education faculty in several countries and HEIs, establishing itself as a core component in driving the digital transformation of higher education. To date, the IIOE micro-certification initiative has trained nearly 11,000 individuals via the IIOE platform. Beyond the platform, it has achieved notable success in several other countries and regions.

Egypt: The IIOE Egypt National Centre (Ain Shams University) established a localised network covering 26 universities. It configured courses tailored to local training needs on the IIOE Egypt National Centre Portal and integrated IIOE micro-certification training into the national teacher assessment and promotion system, creating a sustainable mechanism. This has benefited over 3,800 educators.

Mongolia: The IIOE Mongolia National Centre (Mongolian University of Science and Technology) designed a "Training of Trainers" programme and translated IIOE courseware into Mongolian, leveraging core faculty to promote the integration and application of AI in higher education. IIOE micro-certifications have not only become part of the professional development curriculum for faculty at the Mongolian University of Science and Technology but have also been embedded into the university's master's degree credit-bearing courses.

Kazakhstan: The Kazakh National Centre for Professional Development "Orleu" localised and translated into Kazakh the AI curriculum co-developed by UNESCO-ICHEI and the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (UNESCO IITE). This course has been incorporated into the national in-service teacher training system, with over 320,000 teachers enrolled and 250,000 having completed the certification.

East Africa: Based on regional needs, the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) independently designed a customised training pathway. It organised in-person training workshops and, by leveraging online resources, extended the training to over 140 member institutions under the IUCEA. The inaugural training cohort has reached nearly 600 participants.

Nigeria and Zambia: The IIOE Nigeria National Centre (Ahmadu Bello University) and the IIOE Zambia National Centre (Mulungushi University) employed a blended "online + offline" training model to address challenges related to uneven distribution of local educational resources. This approach ensured the inclusivity and accessibility of the training, empowering approximately 2,900 and 1,800 higher education faculty members in each country respectively.

The IIOE Egypt National Centre independently conducted training sessions

The IIOE Mongolia National Centre launched an action plan

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The Kazakh National Centre for Professional Development "Orleu" carried out training based on the localised AI curriculum

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The IIOE Nigeria National Centres conducted their respective training programmes

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The IIOE Zambia National Centre conducted training

The scaled impact of the IIOE Micro-Certification Project is fundamentally driven by a synergistic empowerment mechanism of "open resources + localised operations." IIOE National Centres of these countries are deeply involved in adapting course content locally, organising and implementing training, and integrating the certifications into national systems. This ensures that capacity building is genuinely rooted in and responsive to local contexts.

Alliance Building: Diversifying and Expanding the Partner Network

In 2025, the IIOE ecosystem continued to expand, now encompassing over 130 partner institutions, 55 international organisations, and more than 40 technology enterprises. This year witnessed the successive establishment of the IIOE Serbia National Centre (University of Belgrade), the IIOE Ghana National Centre (University of Cape Coast), and the IIOE Kyrgyzstan National Centre (Kyrgyz National University). Furthermore, IIOE Training Centres were inaugurated in Hong Kong SAR and Singapore, leveraging the respective regional strengths in industry-academia-research collaboration to promote the development and delivery of cutting-edge training programmes. Concurrently, UNESCO-ICHEI actively collaborated with high-end think tank institutions, including the Higher Education Research Centre of the Southern University of Science and Technology and the Greater Bay Area Higher Education Big Data Research Centre, to conduct joint research, providing an intellectual foundation for project design. UNESCO-ICHEI will continue to engage all stakeholders—including IIOE National Centres, partner institutions, and enterprise partners—through the principle of "Extensive consultation, Joint contribution, Shared benefits," to foster a globally connected digital ecosystem for higher education characterised by deep, multi-stakeholder participation and collaborative evolution.

"Priority Africa ": Empowering Over 17,000 African Higher Education Professionals

In 2025, UNESCO-ICHEI actively responded to UNESCO’s global priority of "Priority Africa" and aligned itself with China’s national strategies by deepening innovation cooperation in higher education with African countries. Through locally-grounded initiatives and pragmatic cooperation, UNESCO-ICHEI promoted inclusive educational development.

In 2024, during the "China-Africa-UNESCO dialogue on education and cultural heritage protection," Professor JIN Li, Director of UNESCO-ICHEI, announced a commitment to provide capacity building for 35,000 African teachers and administrators within three years. This pledge has been incorporated into the "Master Plan for China-Africa Education Cooperation." Building on the localised training model of the IIOE, the project achieved smooth progress in its first year, having cumulatively trained over 17,000 individuals, exceeding the initial annual target.

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Professor JIN Li, Director of the UNESCO-ICHEI, delivered remarks at the China-Africa-UNESCO Dialogue on Cooperation in Education and Cultural Heritage Protection

Promoting Gender Equality: Empowering Female Higher Education Professionals in Africa

In 2025, the project "Women Leading Change in Africa: Future Higher Education Professionals and Leadership in the Intelligence Era"initiative , jointly launched by the UNESCO-ICHEI and UNESCO IITE, actively advanced UNESCO's global priority of "Gender Equality." The project aims to be implemented in at least 10 African countries between 2025 and 2027. Currently, agreements have been signed with seven institutions. In the process of digital development in Africa, the project strives to ensure women are "seen", enabling more women to practice, participate in, and lead the integration of digital technologies and AI in higher education.

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High-Level Africa Policy Dialogue on "Advancing Higher Education Strategy Implementation in the AI Era"

Pioneer Models: Showcasing the Transformative Digital Transformation in Higher Education of the Global South

In 2025, the "BGI · 2025 IIOE Higher Education Digitalisation Pioneer Case Award (the Pioneer Award)," initiated by UNESCO-ICHEI and sponsored by BGI Group, was officially announced. This edition of the Pioneer Award received 95 submissions from 29 countries, involving 48 higher education institutions and 13 enterprises. 22 cases, demonstrating resilience and innovative value stood out. These cases go beyond the mere replication of successful experiences; they are localised solutions with vibrant vitality, born from genuine local needs. As the award winners stand in the spotlight, we see not only achievements but also recognition and momentum for the journey ahead, encouraging the transformation of more innovative ideas into practical actions to drive the digital transformation and development of higher education in the Global South.

The sustained operation of the Pioneer Award signifies an important evolution within the IIOE ecosystem: we are no longer just disseminators of knowledge, but also discoverers and amplifiers of global best practices in educational digitalisation.

Ms. XIAO Minfeng, Executive Dean of the BGI Education Centre, delivered  remarks

The 2025 Pioneer Award Ceremony

Mechanism-Driven Leadership: Establishing High-Level Regional Multilateral Policy Dialogue Platforms

In 2025, UNESCO-ICHEI leveraged high-level regional policy dialogues as a nexus to establish a multi-stakeholder exchange platform engaging governments, HEIs, international organisations, and enterprises. This initiative transformed practical achievements into institutional safeguards, ensured long-term momentum of the global digital transformation of higher education. On June 30, 2025, UNESCO-ICHEI, in collaboration with the IIOE Mongolia National Centre, the UNESCO Regional Office in East Asia, and relevant Mongolian ministries, successfully convened the "East-Asia High-Level Policy Dialogue: Fostering an AI-enabled Higher Education Ecosystem" in Ulaanbaatar. Through the mechanism of policy dialogues, UNESCO-ICHEI assists relevant national institutions in formulating scientific, reasonable, and effective policies and development strategies for the application of AI in the higher education sector.


Mr. ZOLJARGAL Jargalsaikhan, Member of the State Great Hural of Mongolia and Chairman of the Standing Committee on Innovation and Digital Policy of the State Parliament, delivered a speech	Professor JIN Li, Director of the UNESCO-ICHEI, delivered the opening address

Professor Shahbaz Khan, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in East Asia, delivered a speech	Professor NAMNAN Tumurpurev, Rector of the Mongolian University of Science and Technology, delivered a speech

Looking ahead, UNESCO-ICHEI will continue to collaborate with IIOE National Centres and partner institutions, UNESCO Headquarters and its regional offices, higher education authorities, and other key stakeholders to organize regional policy dialogues. The aim is to foster a virtuous cycle of "practical exploration – policy refinement – regional sharing." Through this regularized policy dialogue mechanism, UNESCO-ICHEI is working to break down silos, advance digital and AI capacity building in HEIs, and establish lifelong learning systems. This ensures that the outcomes of digital transformation permeate the entire educational chain, injecting sustained momentum into the sustainable development of global higher education.

Technological Inclusion: Users Exceed 24,000, with Software-Hardware Synergy Leading AI Teaching Applications

In 2025, the number of registered higher education teachers on the IIOE platform exceeded 24,000, with DeepSeek Assistant (DS-I) becoming an active "digital colleague" for many partners of UNESCO-ICHEI. The platform's multilingual support capabilities were continuously optimised, and course materials were progressively translated into multiple languages, making technological inclusivity transcend language barriers.

Furthermore, the IIOE platform has introduced an institutional onboarding feature, achieving an upgrade in the self-management capabilities of IIOE National Centres. Partner enterprises and international organisations can also manage and develop dedicated zones for conducting training and user management. The 15 National Centres can now independently set up exclusive training zones, customise learning pathways, and manage local learner data. This further unleashes the flexibility and creativity of localised operations, transforming the IIOE platform into a multilateral and collaborative digital learning ecosystem.

Industry-Academia Collaboration: Supporting the Global Expansion of Chinese Technology Enterprises

In 2025, two new Smart Classrooms were added under the initiative of the UNESCO-ICHEI, established in Uzbekistan and Ghana respectively. These classrooms have demonstrated technological reliability and pedagogical utility locally, functioning as digital education hubs for teacher training, cutting-edge course development, and the hosting of international conferences. Since its inception, the Smart Classroom Project, through partnerships with technology enterprises (including Hong Kong Wedon Education Technology Co., Limited, CreateView Edu-Tech, Shizhen (HK) LIMITED,OS-EASY, Anhui Wenxiang Technology Co., Ltd., GuangZhou Dazzleview Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd., and Jiangxi KMAX Industrial Co., Ltd), and supported by the academic expertise of the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), has been implemented in 17 countries in the global south. This project stands as a model of deep industry-academia cooperation, effectively supporting the digital and AI application capacity building of partner institutions. Furthermore, it serves the internationalisation goals of SUSTech; showcases Shenzhen's international education cooperation cases and technological solutions; and supports partner enterprises in expanding their services to overseas markets. Beyond this, collaboration with enterprises has also included joint donations of teaching-assistive VR software and intelligent office software to IIOE partner institutions from companies like Jiangxi KMAX Industrial Co., Ltd and Kingsoft Office, as well as corporate support for and participation in mechanisms like regional policy dialogues. This ensures that industry perspectives are integrated not only into physical teaching spaces but also into the multilateral discourse of international higher education cooperation.

Smart Classroom was inaugurated at the University of Cape Coast (in Ghana)

Smart Classroom was inaugurated at Tashkent University of Information Technologies (in Uzbekistan)

Competency-Based Training: Upgrading Course Series to Align Educational Value with Development Needs

In 2025,UNESCO-ICHEI launched the "AI + Industry" series of micro-certification courses. Using industry-education integration as a key breakthrough, the initiative focuses on cutting-edge fields and responds to national strategies for "digital economy" and "artificial intelligence" development, ensuring educational outcomes directly serve the development needs of partner countries.

Beyond courses and training focused on teachers' AI application competencies, the UNESCO-ICHEI collaborated with the BGI Group to co-develop the "AI + Life Sciences" micro-certificate series, partnered with the China Association of Trade in Services to create the "AI + Cross-border E-commerce" micro-certificate series, and worked with the Singapore-based International Leading Education Association (ILEA) to jointly develop the "Healthy Lifestyle Coach Certification." These initiatives collectively explore the "AI + Industry" course series, aiming to equip learners with key industry-specific skills and foster a closed loop connecting "skills – positions – employment."

What we strive to bridge is the gap between talent cultivation and real-world industry demands, ensuring that empowerment translates into tangible competency enhancement.

AI + Disciplines" Course Series

AI + Industry" Course Series

Knowledge Production: Guiding the Transformation Agenda through Research

In 2025,UNESCO-ICHEI continued to contribute knowledge and insights to the digital transformation of higher education through a series of publications. These outputs reflect region-specific pathways and help build a shared knowledge foundation for global dialogue. During the year, UNESCO-ICHEI released four issues of CLOUD, a publication that comprehensively documents and disseminates the latest developments and project updates in global higher education from multiple perspectives. This initiative aims to establish a platform for information and knowledge exchange among higher education professionals worldwide.

CLOUD Issue 14

CLOUD Issue 13

CLOUD Issue 12

CLOUD Issue 11

The UNESCO-ICHEI, in collaboration with the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok, released the Report on Digital Transformation in Higher Education in Southeast Asia and the Report on Digital Transformation in Higher Education in South Asia. In partnership with the UNESCO Regional Office in East Asia, published Digital Leap in East Asia:A Regional Synthesis on Higher Education Transformation. Additionally, together with the International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa, it published the Research Report on Digitalization And The Use of Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education in Africa:An Exploratory Study. These reports focus on deepening the understanding of the digital transformation process in higher education across different global regions, assessing the digital competencies of educators and students, compiling localised case studies, and generating forward-looking insights.


Digital Leap in East Asia:A Regional Synthesis on Higher Education Transformation	Report on Digital Transformation in Higher Education in Southeast Asia	Report on Digital Transformation in Higher Education in South Asia	Digitalization And The Use of Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education in Africa:An Exploratory Study

Additionally, in collaboration with the Higher Education Research Centre of the Southern University of Science and Technology, the UNESCO-ICHEI released the Global Higher Education Knowledge Production (2025): Indicators, Trends, and Implications. Through sustained multilateral cooperation and engaging its global UNESCO network, UNESCO-ICHEI has launched numerous reports, frameworks, and guidelines focusing on digital transformation and innovative applications in higher education. Leveraging UNESCO's platform, the UNESCO-ICHEI will further facilitate the global dissemination of academic research outcomes, provide intellectual resources for related research projects and knowledge production, and promote richer multilateral connectivity and cooperation in the future.

Global Higher Education Knowledge Production (2025): Indicators, Trends, and Implications.

Epilogue: Towards 2026

Times evolve, and the world renews itself..

As we stand at the close of 2025, we extend our deepest gratitude and respect to every partner who has walked this path alongside us. It is through our collective action and dedication that the vision of a "Digital Ecosystem For Higher Education" has evolved from an abstract concept into a tangible reality.

As we open the door to 2026, may we remain steadfast in our original aspirations and continue to move forward without pause. Let us press ahead with unwavering determination on the journey to achieve UNESCO Sustainable Development Goal 4 (the Education 2030 Agenda), working together to paint an even brighter future for humanity.

ICHEI attended ICDE World Conference 2025

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