EmpowerEd at the International AIED Symposium in Zhuhai, China

We were delighted to welcome our EmpowerEd pioneer cohort to the ASEFClassNet18 Faculty Collaboration Conference’s International AIED Symposium (13–16 November in Zhuhai, China). Their presence brought remarkable energy to the International AIED Symposium, where they made powerful contributions as innovative practitioner-leaders shaping the future of AI-enhanced teaching and learning.

EmpowerEd: Championing Teacher-Led Transformation

Introduced in 2025, the EmpowerEd project celebrates the leadership, creativity, and courage of teachers reimagining education from the ground up. In its pioneer cohort, seven teacher-led projects emerged, demonstrating the extraordinary outcomes that empowered educators can achieve. Grounded in inclusion, equity, collaboration, and professional growth, these projects were developed through peer exchange and action-based learning—further amplifying teachers as innovators and changemakers.

Showcasing Seven Innovative Teacher-Led Projects

At the International AIED Symposium, all seven EmpowerEd projects (led by nine coordinators from Austria, Australia, Finland, Greece, New Zealand, Poland, and Singapore) were presented. Together, they showcased creative and impactful training initiatives focused on student wellbeing through outdoor learning, supporting adaptive learning, enriching creative writing, and rethinking classroom models. Each project highlighted the effective and safe use of AI tools in education to elevate teaching and enhance student outcomes.

Most importantly, the Symposium created a valuable space for deep cross-project exchange. EmpowerEd educators connected with ASEFClassNet Fellows, AIED researchers, and practitioners, opening pathways for:

• sharing insights from their diverse teacher-led projects
• discovering complementarities between initiatives
• exploring possibilities for future collaboration, co-creation, and joint research
• strengthening a network where ideas flow across countries, disciplines, and contexts

The presentation of all seven projects at the Conference further underscored the strength of teacher-led innovation and the powerful impact of collective learning.

EmpowerEd, as a new initiative of ASEFEdu, is built on a simple but powerful foundation:

• 4–5 week learning programmes created by teachers, for teachers
• grounded in peer dialogue, co-design, and shared professional growth
• connecting educators from 50 countries across Asia and Europe
• elevating teachers as designers, researchers, and changemakers

Thank You to Our EmpowerEd Pioneer Coordinators

A heartfelt thank you to the EmpowerEd 2025 pioneer cohort—Christina Koutidou, Danel Rey Gonzales, Adam Stepinski, Juliette Bentley, Lauri Hellsten, Claudia Muellauer, Thi Diem Hang Ngo, Sea Fong Liang, and Benny Pan, for their strong contributions at the ASEFClassNet18 Faculty Collaboration Conference’s International AIED Symposium and for demonstrating the transformative power of teacher-led initiatives in driving collaboration, innovation, and meaningful change in education.

Learn More About EmpowerEd

Learn more about EmpowerEd and the individual projects here.

As EmpowerEd and other ASEFEdu initiatives continue to grow, we look forward to fostering deeper cross-cultural exchange and expanding opportunities for cross-project and cross-disciplinary collaboration.