From 17 to 19 September 2026, the International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI) was invited to attend HUAWEI CONNECT 2026 at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Centre and Shanghai Expo Centre. UNESCO-ICHEI contributed to a series of education-focused events, engaging in in-depth discussions with leaders from universities, industry and government. The discussions explored practical applications and implementation pathways for AI-enabled higher education in the context of closer industry-academia collaboration, with a focus on better connecting academic learning with industry practice and generating new ideas for future-ready talent development.

At the Huawei Global Education Summit, themed "AI × Education: Building the Talent Foundations for the Digital Intelligence Era", Ms. BI Xiaohan, Deputy Director of UNESCO-ICHEI, delivered a keynote address on emerging trends, key challenges and calls to action in the AI transformation of higher education worldwide. She noted that the use of AI in higher education is moving beyond standalone tools towards deeper integration across teaching, research and governance. While the overall direction is converging worldwide, transformation pathways continue to diverge. Technological adoption is outpacing institutional preparedness, with gaps in AI competencies among educators and administrators, disconnects between policy and practice, unequal access to infrastructure and resources, and insufficient coordination continuing to impede progress.

During the Summit, Huawei, UNESCO-ICHEI, industry partners and universities jointly launched the AI + Practical Teaching White Paper. The publication sets out the theoretical rationale and practical pathways for reshaping talent development in higher education in the AI era, providing university leaders, educators, researchers and industry practitioners with practical and actionable guidance.

At the closed-door session of the "Symposium on Innovation in AI Practice-Based Education", Ms. BI Xiaohan noted that, as AI continues to evolve rapidly and industry demand grows for multidisciplinary professionals with AI capabilities, IIOE is helping universities strengthen the practical AI capabilities of higher education professionals through structured, flexible and locally adaptable micro-certifications programmes in "AI + Disciplines" and "AI + Industry".

Reflecting on the joint development of AIPL by Chinese universities and Huawei, she expressed hope of deepening collaboration with universities and industry partners, consolidating practical experience in AI-enabled education, and bringing more replicable and scalable "AI + Education" solutions to countries across the Global South. These efforts aim to help local universities strengthen their AI hardware and software infrastructure and enhance their capacity for talent development.