Symposium on International Governance and Innovative Talent Cultivation for International Organizations in the AI Era Convenes in Beijing
Publish Date: 2026-03-13 | Visits: 18
Sponsored by China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE), the Symposium on International Governance and Talent Cultivation for International Organizations in the Era of Artificial Intelligence convened on October 30 duirng 2025 China Annual Conference & Expo For International Education. The seminar was co-hosted by the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Sustainable Development Goals and Leadership Development Center (UNITAR SDGs Center) and China International Education Institute (CIEI), with UNITAR serving as the supporting organization.
Attending the event and delivering speeches were Liu Limin, President of CEAIE Rabih El Haddad, Director of the Multilateral Diplomacy Division at UNITAR Erik Solheim, former UN Under-Secretary-General Fabrizio Hochschild, former UN Under-Secretary-General Irina Bokova, former Director General of UNESCO Francis Gurry, former Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) as well as representatives from universities and international organizations. Fu Bo, Deputy Secretary-General of CEAIE, presided over the opening remarks and keynote speeches. Overall the seminar attracted more than 100 experts, scholars, and representatives from a variety of international organizations as well as universities home and abroad.
In his address, President Liu Limin stated that we need to embrace AI technology and promote educational transformation, while continuing to nurture the next generation of international governance professionals. The future professionals will be enabled with international projects and multicultural dialogue to get a greater sense of responsibility and cross-cultural understanding. CEAIE is willing to work with all stakeholders on establishing a high-profile and institutionalized platform for dialogue and collaboration, which in the meantime provides both intelletual and human resource support for the transformation of the global governance system.
In his speech, Director Rabih El-Haddad pointed out that the AI-driven talent development models need a more integrated approach that combines academic learning, practical training, and research empowerment. As the cultivation of international governance talent requires the joint efforts of universities and international organizations, UNITAR looks forward to working closely with more universities on curriculum development, internships and research projects.
During the keynote speech session, Francis Gurry, former Director-General of WIPO, delivered a speech titled Artificial Intelligence Reshaping Global Governance and New Talent Requirements, where he elaborated on the positive impact that AI makes on the operation of international organizations and in the meantime provided insights into the new requirements for expertise and skills in correspondence to the potential risks. Irina Bokova, former UNESCO Director-General, shared insights in her speech—Education Transformation and Cultural Diversity Protection in the AI Era: New Missions of International Organizations—where she highlighted the dual-edged sword effect generated by AI on global development and cultural diversity, indicating the leading role that international organizations will be playing in driving education transformation, while defining the protection of cultural diversity as a non-negotiable mission from a profound humanistic perspective.
The seminar facilitated dialogues on how to define global competence in the AI era and how universities can address the challenges brougt by AI technology. Through the discussion, some core competencies were identified as technical cognition, value adherence, and cross-domain integration and the pathways were being explored as well pertaining to disciplinary restructuring and ethical integration.
The seminar invited representatives from international organizations such as Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, International Telecommunication Union, International Trade Centre, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and the UNITAR SDGs Center to provide thematic introductions on international governance and innovative talent development for international organizations, including practical experiences, scientific research projects and internships.
CEAIE, together with UNITAR, the World Association of Young Scientists (WAYS), UNITAR SDGs Center and CIEI, as well as relevant universities and international organizations, jointly launched an initiative on talent cultivation for international governance in the era of AI, which consolidates the consensus that integrates technology, theory, and cross-domain collaboration and builds a cooperative platform that connects universities, industries and international organizations. Wang Luxin, Deputy Secretary-General of CEAIE, attended the launch ceremony as a representative of the initiators.
