The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) was honoured to be invited in the Global Smart Education Conference 2025 (GSE 2025), held in Beijing, China, co-organised by the Beijing Normal University and the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (IITE), showcasing its commitment to promoting educational innovation across Asia and Europe.
This prestigious event, which convened global thought leaders, educators, and technology experts, served as a platform for ASEF to share its perspectives on the role and impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in education, particularly in the context of fostering innovation in teaching and learning across secondary, high and vocational schools in Asia and Europe. Over 1000 participants from China and abroad joined the conference.
Giving a keynote at the conference was an important platform for ASEF to share its ASEFClassNet project’s insights and impact that bridge the digital divide and foster smart education practices among secondary and vocational education stakeholders.
ASEF was specially invited to present during the Forum on Best Practices on Smart Teaching, a focal segment of the Global Smart Education Conference.
This forum explored the profound implications of AI and latest EdTech on teaching practices and policies, highlighting how emerging technologies can be leveraged to improve educational outcomes by empowering teachers. During this forum, ASEF focused on ASEFClassNet’s key activities that align with the conference’s theme of leveraging AI and other education technology to enhance education. Most importantly, ASEF highlighted the significance of empowering teachers by providing them with a voice and a platform to develop their professional competencies through peer-to-peer dialogue. Such engagement fosters a sense of agency among educators, enabling them to lead pedagogically sound, AI-driven innovation in teaching and learning.
Ms Jyoti Rahaman, (Project Lead, Education Innovation, Education Department, ASEF) spoke during the conference at the Forum on AI and the Future of Teaching on Wednesday, 20 August 2024.
In her keynote on “Leading with Human Agency: Empowering Teachers to Thrive in the AI Era”, she highlighted the pivotal role ASEF plays to empower teachers and teacher trainers, especially in the context of the rapid technological advancements such as AI that are reshaping how education is delivered and received. 
She introduced the audience to ASEFClassNet’s innovative model of peer-driven professional development, highlighting how its Communities of Practice (CoP) foster collaborative learning among educators. This approach cultivates a supportive environment where teachers can exchange expertise, knowledge, reflect on ongoing teaching practice, and collectively enhance their professional competencies.
Ms Rahaman also spoke at a close door Roundtable on “Women’s Leadership in the AI Era” where she highlighted creating space and opportunities for women to share their work on AI and AI in Education. She also highlighted the importance of early STEM education and STEM career exposure to ensure more female participation in AI-driven innovation in our societies.
In her closing remarks, Dr Shafika Isaacs, Chief of the UNESCO Unit for AI and Education, emphasised that the future of AI-driven educational innovation must be rooted in a human-centric and inclusive vision. She called for approaches that not only leverage technological advancement but also uphold principles of equity and social justice.
Dr Isaacs underscored the importance of ensuring that AI in education serves all learners—especially those historically marginalised—and contributes meaningfully to building fairer, more resilient education systems for the future.
Learn more about GSE2025 here!
Learn more about the ASEFClassNet Projects and initiatives in 2025 here!