On July 26, 2025 (UTC+8), the Finals for the Higher Education Track of the 8th Global Competition on Design for Future Education opened at Changping Campus of Beijing Normal University (BNU). This competition is jointly organized by Beijing Normal University and the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (UNESCO IITE), with Beijing Design Society and Beijing Design Week Organizing Committee Office as Special Support Organizations. The Competition is co-organized by institutions including the Maldives National University, Sungkyunkwan University, Zagreb University of Applied Sciences, and Mariano Marcos State University, with NetDragon and Rotime Engineering and Technology as Sponsors. 117 young talents from over 30 universities worldwide gathered to showcase their creativity.

Mr. Yanyun Zhang, Vice Chairman of the University Council of BNU, Prof. Asha Singh Kanwar, Chair of the Governing Board of UNESCO IITE and Vice Dean of Smart Learning Institute (SLI) of BNU, and Prof. Guangju Chen, Chair of the Steering Committee of the Competition and Vice Dean of the Smart Learning Institute of BNU attended the opening ceremony.

Group Photo at the Opening Ceremony

In his speech, Mr. Yanyun Zhang stated that in this era, new technologies represented by generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) are reshaping the educational landscape. Human-machine collaboration is becoming the new norm for future education. BNU, in partnership with UNESCO IITE and other institutions, has hosted the Global Competition on Design for Future Education for eight consecutive years. Attracting over 15,000 participants from more than 40 countries and regions, involving over 400 institutions. The Competition inspires global youth to tackle educational challenges through design thinking, innovate solutions through technology, and achieve excellence through teamwork.

Mr. Yanyun Zhang delivering an opening remark

Prof. Asha Singh Kanwar emphasized the importance of innovation in her remark. She earnestly encouraged the contestants to master three key skills: empirical ability, observational skills, and networking skills, and to consistently reflect on three questions: What new skills have I learned this week? What new friends have I made? What questions do I want to explore?

Prof. Asha Singh Kanwar delivering an opening remark

At the mentor appointment ceremony, Mr. Yanyun Zhang, Prof. Asha Singh Kanwar, and Prof. Guangju Chen jointly presented appointment certificates to 14 competition mentors. During the 48-hour challenge ahead, these mentors, alongside five AI mentors specializing in AI Inspiration, AI Design, AI Writing, AI Solution Evaluation, and AI Education Policy, will provide in-depth guidance to the contestants, helping them design educational solutions that integrate innovation.

Mentor Appointment Ceremony

Subsequently, Prof. Guangju Chen announced the official commencement of the 48-hour countdown for the Finals for the Higher Education Track of the 8th Global Competition on Design for Future Education.

Commencement of the 48-hour Countdown for the Finals

Prof. Asha Singh Kanwar, on behalf of the organizing committee, unveiled five topics for the Finals, namely, Growth Curriculum System Design for Primary Schools Towards 2050 (Holistic Human Development), Design for Interspecies Learning in Nature (Human-Nature Symbiosis), Human-centered AI Design (Human-AI Symbiosis), Learning Design for Mental and Physical Health (Holistic Human Development), Sustainable Intergenerational Cooperation Design (Human-Human Symbiosis), providing explanations for each topic.

Release of the Topics of the Finals

Discussion on Topics of the Finals

Over the next three days, 27 competing teams will embark on an educational design journey. Ultimately, 18 teams will advance to the final roadshow session to compete for gold, silver, and bronze awards. The event also features AI debates, utilizing creative activities to relieve stress and boost participant engagement. Integrating science and education, the Global Competition on Design for Future Education is becoming a vital platform connecting global education innovators, promoting boundaryless collaboration to jointly create an inclusive, intelligent, and sustainable future for international education!