From May 11 to 13,the 2026 World Digital Education Conference was held in Hangzhou. This conference was jointly held by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China and the People's Government of Zhejiang Province, with the theme of "AI + Education: Transformation, Development and Governance."

On the afternoon of May 11, Han Zheng, Vice-President of the People's Republic of China, attended the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Digital Education Conference and delivered a speech. The opening ceremony was presided over by Huai Jinpeng, Minister of Education of the People's Republic of China. More than 850 people, including representatives from domestic and foreign government departments, international organizations, primary and secondary schools, universities, enterprises and experts and scholars, attended the event together.Yu Jihong,President of Beijing Normal University (BNU) attended the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Digital Education Conference.

During this conference, Yu Jihong attended the Second Meeting of the First Executive Council of the World Digital Education Alliance (WDEA), the 2026 General Assembly Meeting of WDEA, and the Parallel Session 4 of the conference, and delivered relevant speeches.

The Second Meeting of the First Executive Council of WDEA was attended by representatives from 15 council member units. They had a thorough discussion on the achievements of special work such as the world digital education innovation case, the ethics of artificial intelligence in education, and the WDEA's standardization activities, as well as the 2025 work summary and plan. Yu Jihong, as the chairperson of WDEA, attended the relevant meetings and delivered a concluding speech. Yu Jihong pointed out that the meeting clarified the development direction of WDEA for the next stage and gathered the cooperative forces of all parties. She called on all council members to join hands to promote the coordinated development of global digital education, and contribute educational wisdom and strength to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

At the 2026 General Assembly Meeting of WDEA, WDEA's 2025 work report, special reports and work plan were reviewed and approved. The "Best Practices in AIED: Scenarios-Driven Educational Transformation", "Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Education: A Reference Framework", "Artificial Intelligence Application System in Education", and "Fundamental Elements of an AI-Empowered Smart Campus", which were reviewed and approved at the meeting, were released at the closing ceremony of this conference, systematically showcasing the practical achievements of WDEA, cutting-edge trends and the latest research results, and enhancing its international influence in the global digital education field. Yu Jihong delivered a concluding speech at the meeting. She proposed that BNU is willing to work with all parties to jointly build an open and efficient cooperation platform, promote the sharing of digital educational resources and collaborative innovation, take the digital transformation of education as the mission, and promote educational equity, improve educational quality, and facilitate mutual learning among civilizations, to inject new vitality into the digital transformation of global education.

On the morning of May 12, Yu Jihong attended the Parallel Session 4 of the conference, "Preparing Teachers for Schools of the Future", and delivered a keynote speech titled "Excellent Teacher Program: Jingshi Initiative for Future Teacher". Yu Jihong pointed out that AI is driving education to shift from the binary structure of "teacher-student" to a trilateral synergy of "teacher-machine-student", enhancing the roles of teachers as value leaders, learning designers, innovation promoters and global collaborators. Beijing Normal University is committed to collaborating with global education colleagues to build the future of education through digital civilization and contribute to the development of a community with a shared future for humanity.

At this session, Zhou Zuoyu, Vice Chairman of the BNU Council, took the stage to witness the launch of the Action Plan for Enhancing Digital Literacy of Teachers in the Global South. This plan was initiated by the Africa Institute of Global Teacher Development. It is the world's first international action plan specifically aimed at enhancing the digital literacy of teachers in southern countries. It aims to systematically assist developing countries in addressing common challenges in the digital transformation of education and is a practical measure for China to deepen South-South Cooperation and participate in global education governance.

WDEA was officially established in January 2024 and has received a warm response from all parties around the world. Up to now, it has attracted 144 member units from over 40 countries and regions, covering international organizations, universities, research institutions and enterprises. In the future, WDEA will further deepen resource integration, broaden international communication channels, optimize the construction of the alliance organization, promote long-term stable development, and build a coordinated development ecosystem. With a more open attitude, more practical measures, and more powerful actions, it will contribute educational wisdom and strength to the development of a community with a shared future for humanity.