On November 8, the awarding ceremony for the new partner institutions of the World Internet Conference (WIC) Digital Academy was held in Wuzhen, Zhejiang. Beijing Normal University was selected as one of the newly added collaboration partners of the WIC Digital Academy. The Belt and Road School, serving as the liaison unit, was invited to attend the ceremony and received the official plaque. Ren Xianliang, Secretary-General of the World Internet Conference, attended the event and presented the plaques to the new partner institutions.

The WIC Digital Academy is an international training platform established by the World Internet Conference during the Wuzhen Summit in November 2024. Focusing on key areas of digital development, the platform provides training for the global community—particularly for developing countries—to cultivate digital talent, support digital transformation, and help bridge the digital divide while promoting inclusive development.

In 2025, the WIC Digital Academy expanded its partnership network to include agencies within the United Nations system, as well as a wider range of international organizations, enterprises, think tanks, and media from Europe, Africa, Asia, and other regions. As of November 2025, nearly 40 institutions have joined the collaboration network, with a focus on technological fields such as the digital economy, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. Looking ahead, the Academy will extend its efforts to diverse areas closely related to global digital transformation and public well-being, including internet governance, sustainable development, media and digital literacy, cultural heritage preservation, and smart healthcare. It will continue to promote collaborative content development, innovative approaches, and shared outcomes.

As a new partner, Beijing Normal University will leverage its strengths in education and cultural communication, as well as its experience in supporting high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. The university will actively participate in the Digital Academy’s joint curriculum development and talent training in areas such as internet governance, sustainable development, smart healthcare, and digital cultural preservation. Together, the two parties will contribute to capacity building and knowledge sharing in the digital era, advancing the creation of an inclusive and sustainable global digital future.