Forum on Robotics and Artificial Intelligence in Education held in Belgrade

The Forum on Robotics and Artificial Intelligence in Education took place at the University of Belgrade on 1 June 2024. Researchers, educators and business representatives from around the world explored educational applications and innovation in robotics and AI. Co-organized by BNU’s Faculty of Education, the University of Belgrade’s Faculty of Education and the UNESCO Chair on AI in Education, it focused on educational robots, AI-supported teacher education, and generative AI in education, using dialogue and shared experience to promote inclusion, equity and Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4).

Opening and historical livestream

The forum opened at 14:00 Belgrade local time at the Center for Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Education (CRAIE) and was livestreamed worldwide. This is a record of the 2024 event; the historical broadcast arrangements do not constitute a current invitation to attend.

Professor Chen Wang of BNU chaired the opening. Professor Ronghuai Huang, Co-Dean of the Smart Learning Institute and holder of the UNESCO Chair on AI in Education, and Professor Danimir Mandić, Dean of the University of Belgrade’s Faculty of Education, gave opening remarks. They stressed technology’s importance to educational innovation, reviewed previous cooperation and expressed willingness to deepen it.

Keynote and practical contributions

Dr Jing Liang, co-founder of Squirrel AI, delivered a keynote on exploring large models in education and improving personalized learning experiences. Statements about effects remain attributed to the speaker’s contemporary presentation.

Invited talks and practical contributions covered changes to teacher education, teacher capacity development, educational robots, generative AI and trustworthy affective computing. The original report listed the following speakers and their roles at the time:

• Professor Huan Song, Deputy Dean of BNU’s Faculty of Education: changes, opportunities and challenges for teacher education in the AI age.
• Dr Pingping Ren, Vice-President and Deputy Party Committee Secretary of iFLYTEK: demonstration of the iFLYTEK translator and educational innovation with cognitive large models.
• Galina Udayadas, described in the source as an adviser to UNESCO IITE: ways to strengthen teacher capabilities using AI and digital technologies.
• Li Yang, Manager of the Data Centre Solutions Department at Huawei’s Serbia office.
• Jiayin Yang, Business Development Manager at DFRobot.
• Dr Junjie Zhang, postdoctoral researcher at BNU.
• Jon McDermott, described in the original report as Chief Operating Officer of NetDragon.
• Dr Weixiong Deng, Chief Executive Officer of Gangtiexia Technology, named 钢铁侠科技 in the source.
• Wei Xi, AI and robotics education solutions expert at UBTECH.

Roundtable and conclusions

Professor Miscevic Gordana chaired the roundtable, where participants discussed “How are artificial intelligence and robotics changing teaching and learning?”

Mandić concluded by emphasizing interdisciplinary cooperation and international exchange among institutions in China and Central and Eastern Europe to advance educational technology and contribute to inclusion and equity.

The delegation and international scientific conference

The forum was part of the 2024 Central and Eastern European international scientific conference hosted by the University of Belgrade, attended by a thirteen-member BNU delegation. Before the conference, the delegation met university representatives from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and other countries to discuss future education-discipline cooperation. Serbian Ministry of Education officials attended and joined the discussion.

At the conference opening, Professor Xudong Zhu, Dean of BNU’s Faculty of Education, gave remarks, and Deputy Dean Professor Jun Teng invited participants to join the education-discipline community of the China–CEEC Higher Education Institutions Consortium.

Archive and sources

Archive note: the site’s original archive date, 6 June 2024, is retained; CIT’s corresponding official report is dated 12 June and the event occurred on 1 June. The Chinese company-name typo is corrected to iFLYTEK using CIT’s text, and Danimir Mandić’s spelling is aligned with the visit report. Other names and roles follow the 2024 source; Galina Udayadas retains the source spelling rather than a conjectured correction.

Related reports and resources

Further reading: the full delegation visit report, the Chair’s 2023 Serbia visit, and special and inclusive education resources.