On 29 October 2026, the Tencent Global Digital Ecosystem Summit opened at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Centre. The International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI) was invited to attend. Ms. BI Xiaohan, Deputy Director of UNESCO-ICHEI, delivered a thematic presentation at the Smart Education Session, while Mr. CAO Zian, Chief of the IIOE Management Centre, Mr. TANG Xiangzheng, Senior Programme Officer, Mr. LIU Moyan, Programme Officer, were also invited to attend. UNESCO-ICHEI shared its experience in adapting technology to local needs and advancing international collaboration, exploring how technological innovation can generate global impact and provide practical support for higher education in the Global South.

Under the theme "Multi-Agent & Data-Driven Flywheel: Transforming Real-World Productivity", the Summit focused on advances in AI and agents and their application across industries and launched an initiative for the joint development of the AI ecosystem. Mr. Dowson Tong, Senior Executive Vice President of Tencent and CEO of Tencent Cloud and Smart Industries Group, and other speakers shared insights and practical experience at the Main Summit, discussing how AI agents such as WorkBuddy can progress from improving individual productivity to enabling organisational collaboration and become integrated into real-world business processes and industry applications.

The Smart Education Session, themed "Multi-Agent & Data-Driven Flywheel: Transforming Research and Education", brought together representatives from universities, research institutes and educational technology companies to exchange perspectives on AI-driven research innovation and the integration of AI agents into educational settings. The AI for Science segment focused on large-scale AI models for scientific research and AI applications in disciplines such as life sciences, materials science and energy, exploring innovation in research methods and workflows. The Agent for Education segment examined practical applications of AI agents in teaching, campus management and AI talent development, exploring opportunities for cooperation that allow research innovation and educational applications to reinforce one another.

The Smart Education Session of the Tencent Global Digital Ecosystem Summit

Ms. SHI Mei, Vice President of Tencent Cloud and Head of Tencent Education, noted in her opening remarks that AI agents are becoming integrated into teaching, learning and research, emerging as an important driver of productivity in education. She emphasised that Tencent would deepen cooperation with universities and ecosystem partners to ensure that AI better supports talent development and research innovation, while sharing advanced educational solutions worldwide.

Ms. SHI Mei, Vice President of Tencent Cloud and Head of Tencent Education, delivers opening remarks at the Smart Education Session

Ms. BI Xiaohan, Deputy Director of UNESCO-ICHEI, delivered a thematic presentation entitled "From Technological Innovation to Global Educational Impact". She noted that higher education in the AI era needs to go beyond technology deployment, with sustained capacity-building training to support universities in exploring applications and solutions that respond to local needs. Given the differences in digital infrastructure, language environments and industry needs across the Global South, international cooperation requires mechanisms that effectively connect global technological innovation, educator capacity building and local needs. Through the platform, courses, training and global partner network of the International Institute of Online Education (IIOE), UNESCO-ICHEI supports the adaptation and implementation of advanced technological solutions in local contexts.

Ms. BI Xiaohan, Deputy Director of UNESCO-ICHEI, delivers a thematic presentation at the Smart Education Session

Looking ahead, UNESCO-ICHEI hopes to deepen collaboration with Tencent and its partners in areas such as upgrading the IIOE platform and delivering AI capacity-building training. Drawing on IIOE's global ecosystem, these efforts would promote closer integration of advanced technological solutions with local teaching environments and talent development needs. Through collaboration among enterprises, local universities and international organisations, UNESCO-ICHEI seeks to continue documenting replicable practices and developing practical guidance to support the sharing of quality educational resources worldwide.