At the #ASEFClassNet18 School Collaboration Conference on “Effective, Inclusive & Ethical AI in Education Design” from 6–10 Oct 2025 in Maribor, Slovenia, more than 100 educators, AI and education experts, and government officials from 30+ Asian and European countries came together to champion the effective, ethical, inclusive, and innovative use of AI in classrooms.
The event started with inspiring welcome remarks by:
Mr Zhang Lei, Deputy Executive Director, Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) reminded us that teachers are not passive users of technology, they are co-creators of tomorrow’s classrooms.
It continued with inspiring and insightful remarks from:
Dr Jernej Štromajer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Slovenia, highlighted that teachers have an important role in deciphering AI for students and they should stay “hungry” for technology.
Mr Gašper Hrastelj, National Commission for UNESCO of Slovenia acknowledged hashtagASEFClassNet as an effective platform for strengthen multilateralism and multiculturalism in technological advances.
Dr Mateja Brejc, Ministry of Education of Slovenia explained that they take digital transformation seriously and support many initiatives to equip teachers with knowledge and tools to understand the implications of AI in the classroom.
Mr Mitja Jermol, UNESCO Chair on Open Technologies for OER and Lead of Open Education for a Better World (OE4BW) at Jozef Stefan Institute, observed that we are shifting from rule-based systems to adaptive systems, marking a pivotal shift from content delivery to capability building. To guide this transformation, AI must be used with the 3 Cs in mind – Credibility, Capacity, and Captured Value – and anchored in H.E.A.R.T.: Human agency, Equity, Accountability, Reliability, and Transparency.
Mr Ryusuke Shimada, First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in Slovenia representing one of the funders of the project – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan – shared that inclusive education means AI benefits everyone, with transparency and human dignity.
Dr Andrej Flogie, Director of of Zavod Antona Martina Slomška, the Host of ASEFClassNet18 welcomed participants to Maribor and celebrated teachers as the heart of innovation.
The Conference ended on a high note with the ASEFClassNet18 Innovative Teaching Practice (ITP) Award Competition where teachers from across Asia and Europe pitched the projects they have co-created over the past five months. A sincere thank you to our distinguished Jury Members:
- Prof Ronghuai Huang (UNESCO Chair for AI in Education, Beijing Normal University, China)
- Mr Mitja Jermol (UNESCO Chair on Open Technologies, IRCAI, Slovenia)
- Prof ABTAR DARSHAN SINGH (UNESCO Chair on Harnessing Technologies for Quality Education, APU, Malaysia)
- Mr Jernej Čarman (Student, Gymnasium of Anton Martin Slomšek, Slovenia)
- Mag. Radovan Krajnc (National Agency for Education, Slovenia)
Together, they assessed how these ITPs make AI in education more ethical, inclusive, and human-centred. We wholeheartedly congratulate our award winners & to everyone for incredible hard work and dedication!
Here is an overview of the #ASEFClassNet Innovation in Teaching Award given in 2025:
Gold Award: “The AI Horizon” – by Melania Cini (Malta), Laurel Silvester (New Zealand) & Dejan Košenina (Slovenia), mentored by Yuqing Long (China) | A cross-border project using AI to explore sustainability and global perspectives.
Pearl Award: “A Cross-Cultural Civic Project: Evaluating AI through Human Perspectives” – by Natalie Berndt (Australia), Mirela Petkova (Bulgaria) & Edwin Quinosa (Philippines), mentored by Juliette Bentley (Australia) | Empowering students to examine AI’s ethical and cultural dimensions.
Jade Award: “3D StoryScape” – by Mark Benesio Carace (Viet Nam), Andreas Galanos (Greece) & Parameswari Jayaprakash (India) mentored by Danel Gonzalez (Spain) | Bringing AI ethics to life through storytelling and immersive 3D visualisation.
✨ Special Awards:
“Voices Across Borders: Using AI to Learn, Reflect, and Sustain” – by Dr Michael Harvey (New Zealand), Niamh Mc Nally (Ireland) & Yuxin Zheng (China) mentored by Susana Tomaz (New Zealand)
“Folk Tales Reimagined: Bridging Cultures through AI and Storytelling” – by Stasele Riskiene (Lithuania), Vesna Marinčić (Croatia), Vemalathevey Manikiam (Singapore), Nomintuul Byambatsogt (Mongolia) mentored by Maria Silva (Portugal)
“AI Footprints – Traces of Change through STEAM” – by Dedy LUCKY (Indonesia), Marina Del Barco Molpeceres (Spain), Nam Ngo Thanh (Viet Nam) & Yuanting Liao (China) mentored by Lena ANG (Brunei Darussalam).
A heartfelt thank you to our incredible ASEFClassNet18 Mentors: LENKA ŽIGON, Juliette Bentley, Yuqing Long, Maria Silva, Martin Benda, Susana Tomaz, Dagmar Traumann, Danel Rey Gonzalez, Stavri Panayiotou, Staycie Domzalski & Lena Ang for their invaluable guidance and support to the Innovative Teaching Practice (ITP) teams this year. Through their support, creative insight, and genuine encouragement, they have helped shape not just lesson plans but empowered educators ready to lead meaningful change.
This spirit of mentorship, an integral part of the project, beautifully captures the essence of the ASEFClassNet community: educators lifting each other up, alumni paying it forward, and a shared commitment to lifelong learning and collaboration. This community of educators continues to show how educators are leading this AI-driven education transformation, one classroom at a time.
The conference was a powerful reminder of the impact teachers can make when they support, inspire, and learn from one another. ASEF is delighted to partner with IRCAI – International Research Center on Artificial Intelligence under the auspices of UNESCO, Open Education for a Better World (OE4BW), Jozef Stefan Institute, Zavod Antona Martina Slomška to organise this conference that opened an inspiring dialogue on how educators can become leaders of effective, ethical, and inclusive AI in education.
Learn more about the project here!
Learn more about the ASEFClassNet Projects and initiatives in 2025 here!