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Joint Secretariat for World Digital Education Alliance Officially Established in Beijing

On January 12, 2026, the Joint Secretariat for World Digital Education Alliance, co-established by the China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE) and Beijing Normal University (BNU), was officially inaugurated in Beijing. Ren Youqun, Vice Minister of Education of China, attended the establishment ceremony and delivered an address.

Ren Youqun noted that the Chinese government has been vigorously advancing the Digital Education Strategic Action Plan, launching the Smart Education of China platform and developing the “Digital Map of Education”, achieving notable progress in the application, sharing, and innovation of digital education. He emphasized that members of the World Digital Education Alliance (WDEA) should actively embrace the transformative trends of education in the digital era and continue contributing to the development of an innovative, secure, and inclusive international community for digital education.

Liu Limin, President of CEAIE and representative of the Alliance’s founding parties, and Yu Jihong, President of BNU and Chair of the Alliance Council, jointly witnessed the establishment of the Joint Secretariat and presented letters of appointment to members of the Alliance’s Expert Committee. Liu Limin stated that, as one of the Joint Secretariat institutions, CEAIE would fully leverage its role as a bridge connecting China with the world in education, invite more authoritative organizations in the field of digital education to join the Alliance, and continuously expand its international influence. Yu Jihong highlighted that BNU would work closely with CEAIE to build a more open, efficient, and pragmatic cooperation platform for Alliance members, promoting resource sharing, mutual learning, and collaborative innovation.

Yang Dan, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges of the Ministry of Education and Zhang Jin, Deputy Director General attended the ceremony. Yang Jun, Vice President and Secretary General of CEAIE and Co-Secretary-General of the Alliance, briefed participants on the Alliance’s development. The ceremony was chaired by Chen Xing, Vice President of BNU and Co-Secretary-General of the Alliance. Representatives from international organizations such as UNESCO, as well as educational institutions, universities, and enterprises from China and abroad, jointly witnessed the inauguration.

Following the ceremony, the first meeting of the Alliance’s Expert Committee was convened. Yang Zongkai, Director of the Expert Committee on Education Digitalization of the Ministry of Education, Tang Qian, former Assistant Director-General for Education of UNESCO, and Asha S. Kanwar, former Chair of the Commonwealth of Learning, along with other digital education experts from multiple countries, engaged in in-depth discussions on the Alliance’s development path and core work plan, providing strategic guidance for prioritizing key tasks and advancing practical cooperation.

Since its establishment in January 2024, the WDEA has attracted 115 members from 43 countries and regions worldwide.