From May 24 to 30, a delegation led by Professor Yuan Wen, Board Member of the UNESCO-TEC and former President of Shanghai Normal University, visited Astana and Almaty in Kazakhstan. Professor Wang Jie and Dr. Li Ruimiao from the TECwere included in the delegation.They attended the China-Central Asia International Symposium on Teacher Education, themed "A New Architecture of Education for a Sustainable Future: Global Challenges, Innovations and New Opportunities," and signed several cooperation agreements.
On May 28, the delegation traveled to Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University to participate in the China-Central Asia International Symposium on Teacher Education, themed "A New Architecture of Education for a Sustainable Future: Global Challenges, Innovations and New Opportunities,". Co-hosted by Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University, Kazakh National Women's Pedagogical University, SHNU, the TEC, and the UNESCO Almaty Regional Office, the symposium attracted over 70 experts, scholars, educational administrators, and teachers from across Central Asia. The symposium covered topics such as the transformation of teacher education amidst global challenges, the intersection of AI and education, social-emotional learning, as well as climate education and sustainable development.
During the opening ceremony, Banu Narbekova, Vice-Rector of Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University, and Amir Piric, Director of the UNESCO Almaty Regional Office, delivered welcoming remarks. Professor Yuan Wen then gave an address on behalf of TEC and SHNU. She highlighted that artificial intelligence, climate change, and sustainable development are profoundly reshaping the educational landscape. Standing at a critical juncture of higher education transformation, she emphasized that universities must adopt forward-thinking approaches and proactively respond to these shifts. Professor Yuan expressed the commitment to leverage TEC and SHNU's strengths in teacher education and act as an international platform to deepen student and faculty exchanges, joint research, teacher training, and academic mobility with Central Asian partners, thereby driving regional teacher education cooperation toward a more pragmatic, sustainable, and profound future. Following her speech, Professor Yuan signed a memorandum of understanding with Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University.
At the symposium, Professor Wang Jie delivered a keynote speech on China's teacher education experiences and building a professional education ecosystem for teachers. She shared China's and Shanghai's approaches to teacher education reform and the systems that underpin teacher professional development.
On May 29, the delegation proceeded to the Kazakh National Women's Pedagogical University for the second day of the symposium. Professor Yuan Wen signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation with the university's Rector, Beibitkul Karimova.
Throughout the symposium, the delegation met with representatives from the UNESCO Almaty Regional Office, expressing gratitude for their long-standing support. They exchanged views on several initiatives, including continuing the Central Asia-China Education Forum, launching teacher training programs in Central Asia, advancing internship programs within international organizations, and enhancing personnel mobility. The delegation also engaged with representatives from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, reaching preliminary agreements on future reciprocal visits and collaboration. Subsequently, they visited Zerdesh School for working discussions focused on K-12 educational innovation, international student exchange, and the establishment of educational practicum bases.
During the visit, the delegation had extensive talks with representatives from universities, K-12 schools, and international organizations across Kazakhstan and Central Asia, strengthening regional educational ties.
On May 25, the delegation visited the Graduate School of Education at Nazarbayev University. They reviewed their existing collaborative foundation and explored several key areas, including short-term student exchange programs, faculty mobility, teacher training for K-12 education, the development of AI-driven educational curricula, and joint research on higher education policies. They also exchanged views on future implementation plans and agreed to further deepen partnership.
That afternoon, the delegation visited School No. 101 in the Nura district of Astana. Coinciding with the school's graduation ceremony, Professor Yuan Wen was invited to address the graduates, encouraging the young students to broaden their international perspectives and proactively embrace the future.
On May 26, the delegation visited Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and met with Vice-Rector Alina Galeyeva and Yesbol Omirzhanov, Director of the International Cooperation Department. Both parties agreed to cooperate on higher education faculty training, AI-empowered higher education, comparative studies of educational policies between China and Kazakhstan, and broader scientific research
Editor | FEIJiayi
