The Chair’s delegation visits Serbia

On 1 June 2023, the Central and Eastern European International Scientific Conference, hosted by the University of Belgrade, opened at its teacher education faculty in Serbia. Professor Huang Ronghuai, holder of the UNESCO Chair on AI in Education and Co-Dean of the Smart Learning Institute of Beijing Normal University, attended by invitation. The conference examined educational experiences and shortcomings during COVID-19 and encouraged cooperation and experience-sharing among education stakeholders in Central and Eastern Europe.

Professor Huang delivered a keynote entitled “From Online Learning to Digital Transformation: Beyond Platforms and Resource Sharing”. He presented research published by BNU’s Smart Learning Institute in response to the pandemic, examined AI-supported digital transformation in education and called for China and Europe to advance transformation for sustainable development together. He proposed deeper dialogue on AI in education, closer consultation and exchange, and research into standards for its educational applications.

Meetings with government departments and the Chinese Embassy

During the visit, the delegation met advisers to Serbia’s Prime Minister’s Office, officials from science and education departments, Belgrade’s Deputy Mayor and personnel of the Chinese Embassy in Serbia.

The delegation discussed educational applications of AI with Stefan Badza, Director of Special Projects in the Prime Minister’s Office. He expressed Serbia’s interest in learning from China’s experience to support educational change. In a meeting with Belgrade Deputy Mayor Vesna Vidović, Professor Huang proposed a platform for mutual learning and exchange on smart education between Beijing and Belgrade and invited her to the 2023 Global Smart Education Conference. She accepted the invitation.

Visits to the universities of Belgrade and Novi Sad

The delegation visited the University of Belgrade’s education and electrical engineering faculties, met the Rector of the University of Novi Sad and visited its BioSense Institute.

Professor Huang and Professor Danimir Mandić, Dean of the University of Belgrade’s education faculty, explored four areas of cooperation:

1. Jointly develop AI literacy and competency standards and frameworks for teachers in Central and Eastern Europe.
2. Establish a regional education cooperation network to promote research and dialogue between China and Central and Eastern Europe.
3. Initiate research on robot-assisted inclusive education, particularly for people with special educational needs.
4. Explore establishing a training centre in Belgrade to strengthen AI literacy and competencies among teachers and students in China and Central and Eastern Europe.

These proposals aimed to advance educational applications of AI, strengthen education cooperation between the University of Belgrade and Beijing Normal University, and support the Chair’s work.

At the University of Novi Sad, Professor Huang presented BNU’s research and practice in AI in education. Rector Dejan Madic described the university’s extensive cooperation with Chinese universities and expressed interest in deeper educational collaboration with BNU.

Visit to Huawei’s Serbian subsidiary

The delegation also visited Huawei’s Serbian subsidiary to learn about its local business and smart education work. Professor Huang proposed assessing readiness for the digital transformation of education in the Western Balkans and developing AI competency and literacy standards for Central and Eastern Europe. Both sides considered that cooperation could broaden regional exchanges and support the Chair’s work in these regions.