The 25th China Annual Conference & Expo for International Education (CACIE) was recently held at the China National Convention Centre in Beijing. UIC Provost and Acting Associate Vice President (Internationalisation) Prof Patrick Chau, and UIC Associate Vice President (Teaching and Learning) and Dean of the Graduate School Prof Huang Yu, were invited to share their insights.
The conference was organised by China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE), gathering officials and professionals from government authorities, nongovernmental organisations, educational institutes, and enterprises from over 60 countries and regions to promote the future development of education, and covering hot topics including the Belt and Road Initiative, regional education cooperation and policy research, education digitisation, Sino-foreign cooperation in education, international talents training, and scientific research cooperation.
AI stimulates innovation in education
During the Forum on Belt and Road International Education Exchange: New Quality Productive Forces Empower Belt and Road International Education Exchange, Prof Chau introduced the enlightenment and challenge of AI to education. He pointed out that AI presents more of an opportunity than a threat, and educational institutions should believe in the potential of AI in education as well as integrate the positive factors of AI into teaching and use it for greater innovation.
Prof Patrick Chau at the forum
Prof Chau also introduced UIC's plan to offer AI-related courses, which are divided into three stages: basic, core and advanced. UIC will also establish an AI professional group and an AI talent pool. He added that ethical and legal issues will also be included in the AI curriculum to ensure students have a comprehensive understanding of AI technology' social impact and their responsibilities.
Liberal arts education, future-oriented
At the Symposium on High-Quality Development for Chinese-foreign Cooperation in Education, Prof Huang Yu said that globalisation and technological innovation had posed challenges to education, including how to balance the impact of technological development with the adherence to humanistic values, and how to train high-quality international talents to adapt to future development. He pointed out that in the era of AI, the value of liberal arts education has become increasingly prominent.
Prof Huang Yu at the symposium
He shared the UIC's practice of liberal arts education with his Chinese and foreign counterparts. He said UIC is committed to educating students to be well-rounded and equipped with international vision, it encourages its students to act as cultural ambassadors to spread traditional Chinese culture worldwide.
From MPRO
Reporter: Wang Ziling
Photos provided by the CEAIE
Editor: Cecilia Yu
