On August 21, the delegation of the World University Association from the Global Smart Education Conference visited Beijing Normal University(BNU). The delegation toured the newly opened BNU Digital Education Resources Center, marking the center’s first reception of international guests.

Director Zhao Guoqing of the center extended a warm welcome to the delegation. He introduced the background and development plans of the center, outlining its four main goals: To build a cutting-edge platform for showcasing educational technologies, open to BNU and the national education community; To establish a digital and intelligent resource development base for all BNU faculty and students; To create a practice base for digital and intelligent teaching specifically for pre-service teachers; To develop an innovation demonstration base for digital and intelligent teaching, serving the entire university community.

In October 2022, BNU launched the initiative to establish the Digital Education Resources Center, with construction scheduled for preliminary completion by August 2025. At present, the first 15 key digital education resources have been officially unveiled, covering essential areas such as teaching and research, practical training, and international exchange.

Murad Aliyev, a 2023 doctoral student at the School of Educational Technology, gave the delegation a detailed introduction to the center’s nine functional zones, the first set of 15 showcased digital education resources, and their planned applications.

The delegation members toured the center and focused on experiencing resources such as the smart classroom and virtual simulation.

Chen Guangju, Vice Dean of the Smart Learning Institute of BNU, said that, as a leader in teacher education in China, BNU has long been committed to educational reform and innovation. The center's digital education resources are designed not only to serve the BNU's own faculty and students but also to be shared with partner countries through the Belt and Road Education Initiative, aiming to provide high-quality resources and work together with universities worldwide to meet the challenges of global digitalization in education.

The delegation spoke highly of the resource development at BNU and expressed strong interest in future collaboration. They noted that the center's showcased resources comprehensively cover the full spectrum of educational needs, from foundational courses to cutting-edge technologies. In particular, the AI-powered smart lesson preparation system was highlighted as a valuable model for advancing the digital transformation of teacher education worldwide.

The International Association of Universities(IAU) is a membership-based organization established through the joint initiative of UNESCO and global higher education leaders, bringing together nearly 600 members from more than 120 countries. Beijing Normal University officially became a member of the IAU in March 2025.